Bless This World With A Stranger

by RhineWrites

Arc 14: Fantasia Tales

73. A14-2: Brave Samurai Kazuma

As the light of the Fantasia shimmers brightly, a new story begins its telling...

{|} Story 2: Brave Samurai Kazuma {|}

} The Set-Up {

The Stylish Style Kingdom!

For seventeen generations, this small kingdom, located within an OK sized valley nestled deep within Mountains of Many Peaks had known peace and security, mainly because they never had to worry about dealing with all the idiots who lived beyond the mountains in the outside world.

That was until the day they came a-calling; the Everyone Else Empire.

This massive force, said to control the entire rest of the continent, discovered that the Stylish Style Kingdom was sitting on a deposit of a rare and valuable crystal which, in theory, could provide near unlimited power to anyone who possessed it. The name of these special crystals... was Gleam.

It was also said to be incredibly pretty when worn too.

Because of this, the Everyone Else Empire decided to travel over the mountains so they could invade the Stylish Style Kingdom so that they could claim total ownership and control of the Gleam.

What made this sudden and unexpected, because the people of Stylish Style were sure they're existence wasn't even known about, invasion was the fact that the King and Queen had left to have themselves a little world trotting vacation, leaving their young daughter, the twelve-year-old princess Iris in charge.

Now, it was all up to princess Iris, and her small army of very inexperienced knights, to protect their home from these powerful invaders. Can they succeed? Well, that's what we're about to find out.

And yes, calling the good guys the Stylish Style and the bad guys Everyone Else is really stupid. Moving on!

} The Hero Calling Ritual {

The sound of the enemy's explosive weapons impacting against the magical barrier that was keeping the city of Stylish Style safe from being invaded could be heard even beneath the castle as princess Iris, along with her two must trusted friends, made their way down to the sacred chamber where they would place all their hopes for the future.

"This is bad, princess. The fact we can hear the sounds of the enemies weapons all the way down here is a sign that the barrier won't be able to hold out much longer."

said Rain, the highest-ranking mage in all of the kingdom. She was also fairly young for having such a grandiose title, only being eighteen which was fairly impressive.

"I still think this is going to be a waste of time. I mean, why would you need to call upon some supposedly great hero from another land when you already have me here at your side."

said Claire, Iris's personal bodyguard and leader of the royal knights. Despite being only twenty, her talent for the sword had earned her leadership of the kingdom's forces, as well as being the only competent fighter.

This had caused her to develop something of an ego of overconfidence about her, to say nothing of her rather obvious obsession with the princess.

"We've been over this before, Claire. Summoning a hero to save the kingdom in times of peril is a time-honored tradition for our kingdom. Given our current situation, I don't see why I shouldn't use it now, given our current situation."

"Maybe because this ritual has never actually been used before."

said Claire, having a deadpan look on her face when she says that. Rain, looking more optimistic, says-

"Well, there's a first time for everything, as they say. Anyways... we're here."

Having finished walking down the long flight of stairs and down a long, dark hall, they finally reached a set of large ornate doors. Rain, on Claire's orders, opens them both though Iris offers to help her only for Claire to remind her that royalty doesn't do the job of the help.

"Then you can help here in my place."

"The captain of the guard doesn't do the job of the help either!"

Yes, Claire was also smug and completely full of herself. Still, she knew plenty of funny jokes so...

Stepping into the room which seemed to be covered in runes carved from Gleam that covered the walls, ceiling, and the very floor. Claire and Rain quickly take their positions to either side of the large Gleam crystal that hovered at the center of the room.

Iris then steps forward, taking her place before the Gleam crystal. She then crosses her hands over her heart as she closes her eyes and begins her prayer to the Gleam.

"O' shining stone before me now, please answer my simple plea. Call forth now a valiant soul with the power to save me."

As she repeats her prayer over and over, the Gleam on the walls, ceiling, and floor begin to shine, emitting beams of light that meet at the large floating Gleam at the center of the room, making its core start to sparkle and shine.

After repeating the prayer for the seventh time, Iris opens her eyes and places both hands onto the Gleam crystal as she says one final prayer.

"Please, my destined hero. Please come save us all!"

The Gleam Crystal begins to shine so brightly that the light fills the room. Despite the blinding light, Iris is just barely able to make out the Gleam as it begins to shrink, taking on the shape of a person who floats down onto the ground. The light finally fades to nothing, revealing the person they summoned was...

A teenaged boy... a butt-naked teenaged boy with his clothes laying right beside him.

Immediately, Claire's face contorts to being one of horror while both Rain and Iris simply become wide eyed with surprise. Rain does cover her eyes, though does spread her fingers enough to allow one eye to keep looking while Iris just looks on in wonder and amazement.

After all, this was the first time she was seeing a boy naked, and she was a very curious girl.

The boy, probably sensing he had eyes on him, slowly opens his sleepy eyes. Upon registering that he had company, He sits up and scans the area, taking note of the three girls present, making him stand so he can properly greet them. Once he was standing, he realizes the scenery wasn't what he was expecting from the place he had chosen to take a nap at.

"Where am I? I could have sworn I was catching a nap next to that river I stumbled across."

"Who cares about that, you idiot. Why are you naked? Wait, you're naked... in the presence of..."

Claire quickly turns her attention to Iris, seeing the center of her perverted universe was looking at Kazuma with an expression she definitely didn't want to see on the face of her personal obsession. She quickly rushes over to Iris and covers her eyes to shield her though Iris did resist.

Side note, Claire didn't care if Rain looked or not as she didn't really care about Rain all that much.

"Put your clothes on this instant, you disgraceful pervert. Do you have any idea on who it is you're standing before?"

"And why would I know that when I have no idea exactly where it is I'm at right now. Still, I guess I should get dressed."

The boy goes to dress himself; Rain manages to work up the power to ask-

"Um... if you don't mind me asking. Why were you naked to begin with, brave warrior?"

"Brave warrior...? Huh, first time anyone's called me by that title. To answer your question, my clothes had become dirty, so I had washed them in this river I came across. I decided to take a nap while they were drying to help pass the time. Sorry about that, by the way. If I had known I would find myself waking up before three beautiful girls, I would have at least put my pants back on beforehand."

Rain swoons at being called beautiful as she had never been complemented like that before. Iris simply blushes as she averts her gaze while a gentle smile appears. As for Claire, she was having none of it and wouldn't be led astray by any weak forms of flattery, especially from a... from a MAN of all things.

"Yeah, you should be sorry, you... you BOY. You should feel ashamed of yourself for sleeping in the nude. You never know when someone will stumble upon you... or summon you to help them."

"Hey, that's kind of mean, don't you think? I mean, you three did see me naked and all. Tell me, what exactly do I have to be ashamed of?"

"He does have a point!"

agreed Rain, making Claire scream out in annoyance. Iris finally breaks free from Claire and approaches her summoned hero, deciding it was time to explain everything to him.

"Forgive me, brave sir. It wasn't my intention to cause you any trouble here. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Iris, crown princess of the Stylish Style Kingdom. These two here are my closest friends; Arch Magus Rain and Captain Claire, head of the Stylish Knights."

"Wait, your kingdom is called Stylish Style? Wow, that name is really..."

Claire quickly prepares to pull her sword out to dish out punishment if the summoned hero's next words ended up being what she was expecting them to be. This makes him pause, hesitate, then finally say-

"(nervously) … a pretty awesome sounding name. The best I've ever heard in fact!"

Claire nods with smug satisfaction while Rain asks the summoned hero for his name.

"Oh, right. My name is Kazuma, first son of house Satou of the Dynasty of the Rising Sun. That's right, it is I, the Brave Samurai... Kazuma!"

Kazuma then does a fancy pose which earns plenty of praise and wow from Iris and Rain and an annoyed huff of disgust from Claire. Once Kazuma tired of the pose, he looks at Iris and asks-

"So, princess... how did I get exactly?"

"Well, you see, sir Kazuma, the thing of it is..."

And thus, Iris began her explanation.

} The Legendary Blade of the Elements {

After having the situation and the reason behind his being summoned explained to him, Kazuma was escorted to the back door of the castle which was the closest to his next destination: The Hero's Tower!

Well, by escorted, one would actually say he was RUSHED to the back door... very quickly rushed at that. And instead of him walking outside like any normal person would be allowed to do, Kazuma was literally kicked, HARD, out the door by Claire who shouts out immediately after-

"Don't feel like you need to rush or anything. In fact, maybe just not bother coming back at all."

Claire then slams the door shut before the sound of the locked being turned rings out. Kazuma picks himself up and rubs his backside while looking at the castles back door.

"You know, I'm starting to think that woman doesn't like me that much. Eh, I deal with her later. For now, time to get this magical blade Iris told me about."

Kazuma then begins to walk towards the tower which was located at the center of the Stylish Style Kingdom, something he was surprised by as Kazuma had assumed the castle itself would be the center of the kingdom.

Furthermore, while the only way to reach the Hero's Tower was began inside the castle, Kazuma was shocked to hear that the chamber of the hero summoning crystal was actually located beneath the tower itself, which had made him ask-

"If the hero summoning chamber is located beneath the Hero's Tower, then shouldn't there be a way for me to just head straight into the tower itself from inside the summoning chamber without the need to walk back into the castle only to walk back again to the ground floor entrance of the tower."

This triggered some cursing from the three girls, as well as Iris ordering a passage to made built if they somehow managed to survive this invasion for potential future usage.

After he finished his walk to the towers entrance, and taking a moment stare up at the sky to observe the attacks hitting against the protective magical barrier that surrounded the capital city of the kingdom. He then looks back at the double doors of the tower and pushes one open.

Once inside, Kazuma is greeted with a large plaque hanging on the wall and the beginning of a flight of stairs off to his right. Taking his first steps inside causes the plague on the wall to begin glowing, and words made of blue fire to appear on the plaque. With the door he had opened closing automatically behind him, Kazuma steps before the plaque and begins to read what was written.

"Hm, it says: To the chosen hero, summoned to these lands in a time of need, know that you only have one challenge that awaits you and the alter of the sacred blade. Please beware though that if you are NOT the chosen one, then you may want to turn back now otherwise don't complain when you die a horrible, painful death. As for you, chosen hero, your one challenge is this... climb the ten thousand steps between the here and the alter. Please note this estimate doesn't include non-stair steps."

Kazuma turns his attention to the stairs and looks at them for a moment, then says-

"So, I have to walk up... ten-thousand steps, huh? Well, if that's all I have to deal with, then I guess that will be fine. I could use the exercise and besides, I doubt walking ten-thousand steps will be that hard or will take that long. Still though, I wonder why ten-thousand...?"

From the corner of his eye, Kazuma notices the glow on the plaque was changing, bring his attention back to it. He sees some new writing had appeared, making him read it aloud.

"And in case you are wondering why the number ten-thousand was chosen? Because a REAL hero knows how to go the distance. Fuck you, magic sign thing!"

shouts Kazuma as he kicks the plaque hard enough to cause it to fall to the ground. He then turns and approaches the steps, puts a foot onto the first step, then takes in a deep breath. And with that, he begins his hopefully not too long ascent to the top.

After his first one-hundred steps...

"OK, so far so good. Haven't even broken a sweat yet."

After his five-hundredth step...

"Still good, still good. I got this in the bag, baby!"

After taking step number one-thousand...

"OK, I'm starting to sweat a little... and my legs are starting to feel tired. I can still keep going though. No pain, no gain, as they say."

Upon reaching step number five-thousand...

"(heavy breathing) Ah... ah... kami give me strength here. I'm really out of shape. I should have... listened to my tutors when it... huff-huff... when it came to exercise. Feel the burn, Kazuma, feel the burn. Do it... do it for... that cute princess and her equally cute mage friend... and to piss that Claire woman off something fierce."

Finally, upon reaching the last ten steps, Kazuma was no longer walking but crawling... slowly and pitifully, up the final set up stairs. Upon reaching the end, Kazuma, sweating like a hundred pigs and breathing harder than a windy day, manages to get out-

"Made it... thank kami, I made it. Oh god, I think my lungs are wanting to be puked up and out... urk... shouldn't have said puke just now... urgh..."

Kazuma proceeds to puke for two straight minutes onto the very nice, painted floor. After another ten-minutes of him lying on the ground, slowly recovering from his lengthy walk, Kazuma manages to get back onto his feet and wobble over to the awaiting alter.

"So, this is the legendary elemental sword. Strange looking sword if you ask me."

The alter itself appeared to be made from a kind of marble like stone. Sticking out of the alter was more of that Gleam crystal he had seen lining the entirety of the summoning chamber. What made it interesting was this particular Gleam crystal was shaped like the hilt of a sword.

Did that mean this elemental blade was a sword made entirely out of Gleam?

"Now that I think about it, I recall Rain telling me the sword alters its appearance to best fit what the user is used too in their lives. Hm, wonder what my elemental sword will look like then? Well, only one way to find out... hope I'm actually a chosen hero, otherwise this is probably going to kill me, or at least hurt really, REALLY bad!"

Kazuma then spits on both hands, rubs both hands together, then takes hold of the crystal hilt. He then pulls hard, with all of his might. At first, nothing appears to happen though a feeling tells Kazuma to keep at it. Finally, slowly but surely, the legendary blade begins to rise from the alter.

Feeling more confident now, Kazuma unleashes a battle cry as the rest of the magic blade finally is freed. He then holds it high above him as he cheers in victory and the freed blade shines with light as its emerged self takes on its new form.

"A katana with a blade made of silver crystal. Given where I'm from, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. If I'm being honest though, I wouldn't have minded having a sword with a more European look to it. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers."

Kazuma then takes a few practice swings with his new weapon, admiring the shine that came from the silver crystal blade. He also liked the soothing hum that seemed to come from it as well. He also wondered why the hilt looked like any common katana hilt instead of something fancier like the blade itself.

He then holds it out before him again and says-

"You know what, beautiful. You need a name, one worthy of a sexy looking beast like yourself. Let me see here... Masamune? Muramasa? Kogorasamaru? I don't know, there's so many to choose from. Perhaps I should just sleep on..."

"Her name is Luminite!"

"Luminite? That's a stupid name. I'm not going to call this amazing looking sword something like..."

"Her name is Luminite. Just go with it, hero!"

"Fine, I'll call her... wait, who said that?"

Kazuma looks around the room, trying to spot whoever else was in here with him. Not seeing anyone, he finds himself wondering who it was that had just spoken right now, while also making him believe...

"Oh god kami, all that stair walking must have done something to my brain. OH GOD KAMI, I have to walk back down those same stairs now... oh well, no big deal. Walking downstairs is easier than walking upstairs, after all."

Kazuma then goes to place Luminite into its sheath only to realize the blade didn't come with a sheath. Shrugging, he makes a mental note to see if he can have one made for him once he reunites with those three. He then his descent down the stairs when...

The plaque suddenly appears before him in a flash of light, hovering in the air before Kazuma.

"Congratulations on getting the sword, hero. However, because you had the gall to kick me before, enjoy trying to make it back outside alive. Maybe next time you'll treat magic informers like myself some respect!"

The plaque then poofs into nothingness as Kazuma hears a click come from behind. Turning back, his eyes nearly bug out as he sees a massive boulder come rolling right at him.

"AHHHHHH..."

squeals Kazuma as he begins his run down the stair now with the large boulder always just a few steps behind. He was tired, his legs and lungs were hurting like hell, and he was even sure he was having a heart attack now, not that he had the time to deal with any of it as he raced for his life all the way to the very end.

Somehow, someway, he managed to run the entire ten-thousand steps back down, and in record time too at just over twelve minutes. Somehow, he manages to force one of the two doors open and throw himself to safety before the boulder can slam against the entrance, effectively sealing the tower up.

Kazuma laughs, having escaped death from being flattened, then collapses to the ground having no strength left.

"I'm dying... I'm dying... I'm..."

Kazuma finds he has to put his death on hold as he sees the magic barrier in the sky finally collapse, allowing the flying ships of the enemy to start flying in and dropping bombs and troops onto the city. What's worse, something very big lands right in front of Kazuma himself.

"Great, now what?"

asked Kazuma to himself as he tilts his head up, finding a giant scorpion looking steam powered machine now baring down on him.

"(sigh) ...I really want to go home now!"

} Claire's Backstory {

The loud crash of the steampunk scorpion machine against the side of the castle and the immediate explosion that followed blast a hole into the backside of the castle. Kazuma breathed heavily, feeling like he was almost about to pass out from just how tired he was right now.

He manages to fight through that though, instead pushing himself to keep going as he heads inside to assess the damage and to see how Iris and those other two girls were doing.

Luckily, the back door was only a few rooms and a hallway away from the throne room, which is where he assumed he would find them. Upon entering the throne room, he saw an unexpected sight.

Claire was on the ground, appearing to be unconscious. Rain was off to the side, also on the ground with some rubble pinning her legs down to keep her from doing anything. As for Iris, she had been captured, currently being held in the arms of another steampunk like machine, this one taking the form of a humanoid golem that had arrived by blasting a hole through the ceiling.

"Princess..."

"Kazuma, you made it back. Thank the gods..."

they both shouted to one another as the head of the golem splits in half, revealing... a tall, thin man wearing a dapper purple suit and a strange looking mask over his eyes.

"Mwa-ha-ha-ha, it looks like Moi has been successful in capturing the princess of this kingdom. Now, there will be no choice but to surrender to our demands."

"Damn you, give me back MY... I mean our princess..."

said Claire, struggling to get up but not quite succeeding.

"In time, in time, I assure you. Now, you know Moi's demands and will be expecting a prompt response. Fair the well."

The man in purple then sits back down, making the face of the golem close before it begins to fly off in the air. Kazuma tries to rescue the princess but is unable to jump high enough in order to reach either her or even the feet of the golem in time.

"Princess... Iris, don't worry. I'll come save you right away."

"I know you will. I'll be waiting, sir Kazuma."

returned Iris as she and the golem flew off from sight.

'Well, that could have gone better for my first mission here. At least I can do the whole rescue the princess trope here now. But first...'

Kazuma heads over to Rain, wanting to help her be free from the rubble that had fallen onto her. Sure, he could go help Claire first, seeing as she was closer, but they only thing stopping her from getting up was really herself. Besides, he liked Rain more, so she got priority right now.

Reaching Rain, Kazuma places Luminite down and begins lifting the rubble from off Rain's legs.

"You made it back, sir Kazuma... a little late but better that than never."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Having to climb ten-thousand steps to reach the top of that tower wasn't easy. Nor was having to run back down them while being chased by a giant freaking boulder."

"Wait, did you say... ten-thousand? (Kazuma nods as he pulls the last of the rubble off her) I don't remember it being THAT high, but we usually used the elevator to get to the top too so..."

"Wait, there was an elevator? Why couldn't I have used... never mind. Anyways, after getting back to ground level, I found myself having to battle this giant metal scorpion outside. It did wreck the place, but I managed to kill it, save the towns folk, and maybe cause a LITTLE BIT of property damage along the way. Sorry about that."

Rain examines her legs, finds they were more or less alright, apart from some bruises, and gets back to her feet with Kazuma's help.

"Don't worry about. Our resident master craftsman, a burly man named Ruffian, will have everything fixed up all nice and new within a day. By the way, is that that sword... your sword? Amazing, it looks so... so..."

"(picking up Luminite and holding it out for Rain to see it) Yeah, I think it looks pretty cool too. What about you, Claire. What do you..."

Before Kazuma could finish, he finds himself suffering a devastating right hook to the face that sends him flying and Luminite clattering onto the ground. Rain was understandably shocked to see this happen, but even more so when she sees it had been Claire who had taken the cheap shot at the hero.

"Claire, what are you doing, treating our hero like..."

"Our hero? OUR HERO? Don't make me laugh, Rain. This... this BOY isn't anyone's hero, nor could he ever hope to be one. Because of HIM my beloved princess has been snatched away."

shouted the raging Claire while Rain just rolls her eyes and sighs, saying-

"Oh, here we go... again!"

Kazuma, having recovered from Claire's sucker punch, picks himself up and retorts by saying-

"And how is it my fault exactly? Remember that I was sent off to get the legendary blade, then had to save the entire city surrounding the castle from being destroyed by a scorpion. Sure, I may have only partially succeeded there, but at least no one was killed... I think. Anyways, I was doing hero stuff outside and didn't want to drag that fight into the castle, what about you, miss captain of the royal knights?"

"What was I doing? I was in here, protecting MY princess is what I was doing."

"And doing a piss poor job at it, from the looks of it."

"(ignores his jab) It's not my job to worry about protecting the rabble outside, only the body of the princess. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Anyone ever tell you that you have one hell of an obsession with Iris, a rather unhealthy one at that. I would recommend you seeking help there, lady."

"(still ignores Kazuma, though is clearly getting angrier) You will call her PRINCESS IRIS, you weak scum. Damn it, if not for you and your bumbling nature, she would never have been captured!"

"Now wait just a damn minute. How is what happened here in any way my fault? How about you blame yourself first before playing the blame game with others."

"He does have a point, Claire. When that giant golem appeared, you did freeze up until Iris was grabbed. Only then did you finally respond and in doing so, you got knocked to the ground till you finally recovered just a moment ago."

"Shut up, Rain. I'll deal with your incompetence later. Now, seeing as you did recover it for me, I'll be taking this blade into my hands and become the hero princess Iris truly needs and deserves."

"Claire, wait. That's not..."

Claire ignores Rain's warning, reaching down and scooping up Luminite. She then holds it proudly before herself while laughing magically and a shadow coming over here face.

And then, a combination of fire and lightning blast out from Luminite, both shocking and burning Claire's hand and lower arm, making her scream in pain as she drops the sword.

"I tried to warn you, Claire. Only the hero or those who are pure of heart can touch that blade at the moment. Also, the greater the darkness within anyone who does touch it, the greater their suffering that will follow."

"So, I guess that means she has A LOT of darkness inside her considering what Luminite just did to her hand and lower arm there."

Claire stumbles back, her other hand gripping the burnt wrist of her dominate limb. The look of pain on her face quickly shifts to being one of anger as she glares at both of them, then down at the sword before kicking it hard, sending it flying off to the side of the large throne room.

"To hell with that worthless sword then. In fact, to hell with all of you and this worthless kingdom too. I'LL go rescue princess Iris myself, then I'll take her far away from this stupid kingdom and find someplace where we can live in peace and be happy together... just the two of us."

With that, Claire turns and storms out of the throne room while Rain tries to call out to her.

"Wait, Claire... captain... you can't... if you do this, your time in this kingdom will come to an end. You'll be exiled..."

"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!"

Once Claire was gone, though she could still be heard in the distance screaming obscenities to the other guards as she left, Rain let's out a sigh while Kazuma retrieves Luminite then walks over to the mage.

"Quite the piece of work, that one clearly is. Mind telling me who shoved all that attitude up her ass to make her like that. I mean, I guess I can get wanting to save Iris and all but giving the rest of the kingdom the middle finger, not showing any concern for its people, and saying she's going to essentially kidnap Iris once she's saved her... makes me wonder what her damage is."

"I'm sorry about that, sir Kazuma. I guess I should tell you her backstory. Maybe that'll help you understand her a bit better."

And Claire's backstory was thus...

Years ago, well before the birth of Iris, a young girl was found wandering the mountains surrounding the kingdom by a patrol. Taken in and adopted by the royal family, the girl who called herself Claire but couldn't remember anything else found a home in the kingdom.

A few years later, Iris was born and Claire swore she would always protect her, deciding to become a master of the blade, something she was actually skilled with. It didn't take long before the previous captain of the knights decided to retire and Claire took command of the knights.

This is when she started to show more... questionable ways of acting and thinking. After becoming captain of the knights, she had tried to replace all the male knights with female ones. While there were a few female knights, there weren't enough for Claire's taste.

In fact, she seemed to have developed a strong dislike of men for no apparent reason. Even the words of the king wouldn't be heeded by her as she only seemed to care about orders that came from the queen; unless they were about being nicer to the men and the king, that is.

Claire didn't get her wish to turn the knighthood into an all-female force, mainly because none of the woman in the kingdom, outside the few that already had done it, wanted to have to be bothered walking around all day, every day, wearing the rather stupid looking outfits that passed as knight uniform.

Claire has been rumored that have taken her annoyance out on all the poor male knight's, making them do all kinds of impossible task like doing ten-thousand sit-ups, push-ups, squats, and other things while fully decked out in their armor... and all within a time limit too and if they failed to do what she asked, which was every single time, she would kick and whip them.

As for her OBSESSION with princess Iris, no one is quite sure when that all got started, but it was very much known to everyone. She has been rumored to peek in on the princess whenever she went to bathe, has been heard moaning Iris's name while laying on her bed at night, hugging a pillow to her body. And, she's even been heard saying how SHE'LL be the one to marry Iris once she's of age no matter what.

Once Rain was done talking about Claire, Kazuma just stands there for a moment before finally saying-

"Geez, that's... Claire sounds like some raging, man-hating, pedophile rapist if you ask me. Why the hell was she allowed to... well, anything after she started becoming like that? After hearing all that, I'd say her leaving is the best thing that could have happened here. All I need to do now is make sure I get to Iris before she does."

"You know, after telling you all that and hearing myself say it aloud... I'm wondering why she's been allowed to remain here as long as she has and stay so close to Iris's side too."

"We can deal with her later, if the need arises. Anyways, now that I have Luminite, what am I supposed to do? I know I need to rescue Iris and all that, but it's going to be hard to make it up onto that flying fortress the bad guys have out there in order to do the saving now."

"That is true. I'm sure there's a way to get you up there, but there's something you will need to do first."

"And that would?"

"You'll need to travel the four corners of the kingdom in order to obtain the five elemental powers so that Luminite can awaken to its TRUE power. The problem is... I don't really know where you should look."

"... Of course..."

} Meeting the Raven-haired Girl {

Only the royal family actually knew the full details on the location of the four elements and seeing as the king and queen were away and Iris hadn't expected to be kidnapped here, they didn't have all that much to go on.

As Rain went to the royal library, hoping to find something to go on, Kazuma was sent outside the castle to look around and meet the people of the city. Maybe see if he could help them if they needed help. After several hours, and making some new friends, Kazuma returned to the castle and was shown a room so he could get some sleep.

By the time the sun had risen, Rain had found where Kazuma should go first. Now fully rested, and having a nice breakfast to fill his stomach, Kazuma began his trek to the eastern side of Stylish Style Kingdom, into the mountains to a place known as the Stylish Eternal Spring, source of all the kingdoms water.

His task... to gain the power of the water element.

"Maybe I should have told Rain... that I don't actually know how to swim here."

he says to himself upon reaching the starting area of the Stylish Eternal Spring location. This place was full of rivers, lakes, and waterfalls. There was also plenty of strange creatures wandering about, all natural sights one would see near places with a lot of water, though that wasn't his primary concern at the moment as they all looked rather peaceful.

["Don't let you guard down around the local beast, Kazuma. While they do look rather peaceful, they can get violent if they feel threatened by anything or anyone. Something Claire found out the hard way when we came here one time for a little sightseeing tour."]

"I'll keep that in mind, Rain. Now, where do you think the element will actually be at... in fact, what exactly is the specific water element I'm even looking for. I'm seeing plenty of water everywhere. Does that mean I just need to walk up to any body of water, dip the blade in, and be done with it."

["That would be nice if it were THAT simple, wouldn't it. No, you need to find the Spirit of Water who lives somewhere around this place and ask her to bond with Luminite. As for where she could be, I'm going to assume she's at the Eternal Spring itself."]

"Makes sense. And... where would that be at? Let me guess, at the highest or furthest most spot from where I'm at, right?"

["Yeah, both actually. Good luck, sir Kazuma!"]

Kazuma lets out a sigh, mumbles his annoyance under his breath, then begins making his way through the area.

Also, Rain wasn't physically with him at the moment. She was still back at the castle, going over the books, looking for any information Kazuma could use to help him on his way while looking for the exact locations of the other elements. As such, she had given him a little charm that allowed them to talk with one another over any distance. Furthermore, if he holds the charm up over one of his eyes, it would allow Rain to see what he was seeing through the charm she had on her person.

And so, Kazuma began his journey to the sacred spring located at the top of all the waterfalls, where it was said the spirit of the water element was said to sleep.

It wasn't an easy trip to the top as he did have to fight more than a few of the local wildlife who took his presence as an issue... or maybe it was the invaders from the Everyone Else Empire also had soldiers patrolling the grounds as well.

They were the main battles Kazuma found himself dealing with. As for as the resident creatures went, he mostly dealt with man-eating fish, oversized toads, and slime class enemies. Despite all this, Kazuma was able to overcome any foe he faced off with, thanks to the power of Luminite.

However, that hadn't been his only issue. He found that in order to advance at certain points, he would need to do something he really didn't want to do; mountain climbing, something he neither had zero training for nor did he have the stamina, endurance, and physical body strength to undertake.

Despite that, he still did it though as for him, there was no other choice. Iris, and Rain too, were counting on him.

It was difficult, very difficult in fact, but he managed to climb a good way up to the second level all the same. It was during his early climb to the third when one of the soldiers he defeated said something very important from where Kazuma had left him laid up on the ground.

"Hey kid, what the hell are you doing? Why are you climbing up when you can just take the tunnels up to the higher levels instead?"

"... Pardon?"

"You know, the tunnels. The ones hidden behind the waterfalls. You... did know about those, right?"

"... Sonuva..."

After that, Kazuma's remaining trek to the spring became much easier. And soon, he had finally reached his destination. He had been confident upon arriving, he would find himself facing off against a small army of soldiers he would have to battle before doing whatever it was he needed to do next.

Instead, all he found at the spring... was a single girl with long raven colored hair.

'OK, this is either going to be way easier than I was expecting or that one girl is an army unto herself.'

He then takes hold of the charm around his next and says quietly into it-

"Rain, I've arrived at the spring... at least I'm sure I have. What do I need to do next? Dip Luminite into the waters or something?"

["Hm, according to the text, there should be an alter somewhere in that area you'll need to place Luminite into. If you can't see it already, then it may be hidden. A puzzle you'll need to solve to make it appear. Or maybe some kind of challenge. I'm not sure as the text are pretty vague here."]

"Don't worry about it, then. I'll figure it out and contact you again once all is said and done."

Kazuma then thinks about it for a moment, the decides he'll try asking the girl who was already here. Who knows, maybe she's the friendly and helpful type. He then makes his way down to where she was and once he was right behind her, he says with a cheerful voice-

"Hey!"

The girl squeals from hearing his voice, so lost in whatever it was she was doing that the sudden voice had scared her. She then spins around to face Kazuma while shouting-

"Hey, how many times do I have to tell you all... who are you?"

Kazuma didn't respond right away, to taken aback by the girl before him. She was beautiful, stunningly so. In fact, he had never before seen a girl as beautiful as her from all the time he had spent back home. Sure, he felt Rain was beautiful too, as were many of the girls he had seen around the city, but none could compare to this girl here.

When Kazuma didn't respond, the girl cocks her head to the side before leaning in, asking him as she does-

"Are you... new by any chance? I don't recall seeing you before on the battleship."

Guess that means she was indeed one of the baddies.

"Not exactly. I'm... ah... I'm someone who comes around here every so often to inspect the spring here, to make sure the waters haven't been messed with. My names Kazuma, by the way. Satou Kazuma. Nice to meet you."

While Kazuma had first considered saying he was a member of the Everyone Else Empire, he worried that wouldn't work so he went with the alternative he had told her. Kazuma then offers his hand to the girl who, after a moment's hesitation, extended her own and the two shake their greeting.

"Nice to meet you. My names Lia. I bet you're wondering why I'm up here like I am?"

"That thought did cross my mind, yes. I assume you're just a traveler who wanted to see the source of the kingdom's water supply."

At least, that's what Rain had told him anyways.

"That's... part of it. The truth is... I'm an agent of the Everyone Else Empire, the power that has invaded this kingdom. And I take it you, Satou Kazuma, are the summoned hero everyone's been talking about."

".. How did you know?"

"Well, your choice of clothes for one thing. Second would be the strangely shaped sword at your side, the one made from Gleam crystal. Ah... I don't suppose you would mind if I took a closer look at it would you?"

"Well, I guess it would be alright. Just so you know though, Lia, only certain people can touch this blade safely. Anyone else will be punished to certain degrees based on specific factors."

"Thanks for the warning but I'm willing to take the risk."

Kazuma knew this could be a bad idea, letting a potential enemy hold Luminite, but for some strange reason, he felt like he could trust this Lia person. Was it because she was a true-blue beauty? Well, only one way to find out. He takes Luminite into his hands and hands it to Lia, letting her look at the blade herself.

Lia holds the blade in her hands, her eyes showing some sign of discomfort as she looks the blade over. After a few moments, she hands the blade back to Kazuma without issue.

"Thank you for that. Seeing it up close, being able to touch it, to hold it, taught me a lot and will help my research along."

"Did holding it hurt in any way?"

"A little yes, like trying to hold onto something hot. It burned a little, but nothing I haven't experienced worse from in the past."

"Happy to hear that. So, wanna tell me why you're really here and more about yourself exactly."

"I suppose I do owe you so alright. I am a member of a four man, or should I say four-woman, team that works for the Everyone Else Empire. Our job is to go around and study locations of special interest to see if there is anything of value to be found. I was sent to study this location. The truth is that all four of us have our own personal interest we hope to one day pursue as well."

"And yours would be?"

"Sorry, but that's a secret. Anyways, you wouldn't happen to know the great secret of this place, would you. I've been looking up and down for over two hours now and I haven't been able to find anything that stands out yet."

"Sorry, but I only know as much as you do about how to reveal the greater secrets of this place. In truth, I was hoping you would know how to make the alter of the sword appear."

"Alter of the sword? I see, so that's what this place has to be all about."

'Oh crap, I guess I shouldn't have said anything about that.'

Lia looks at him for a moment, her face always maintaining a neutral expression. She then says-

"The truth of my being here, Kazuma, is... I just want to see it for myself. The so-called water spirit that's said to live here. I'm honestly not all that interested in doing what chancellor Vanir wants us to do, which is discover the secrets of this land. The only reason why I, and my three companions, are even part of the Empire is because, well, we were ordered to join up, because of our talents. In my case, I can gain an innate understanding of any object I touch, and an even deeper understanding if I look deeply at the object while touching it."

"Which would explain your previous request. Look, I'm not against letting you see the water spirit, so long as you promise not to cause any troubles for either it or me. I would also ask you to not attack the Stylish Style Kingdom after this, but I doubt that's an option for you or a promise you could make."

"And you're right. As long as I'm part of the army, I have to do as told but I can promise not to take a life while in the service. Also, as far as trying anything funny with either you or the spirit? If I had any such intentions, then we wouldn't be having this chat here right now, would we?"

"You do have a point. So, any ideas how to summon the alter so I can awaken the spirit here because I have nothing to go on at the moment?"

"Hm... I wonder. Maybe if you touch that sword of yours against the water. Dip it below the waves, something will happen."

"Well, it's worth a try. Let's see what happens."

} The Tranquil Element of Water {

Kazuma then walks over to the spring, makes sure his grip on Luminite was strong and firm, then he dips the blade just a little beneath the waves. This indeed causes a reaction to occur as ripples begins to spread across the water's surface, like the beating of a heart.

Then a light at the center of the spring begins to shine, rising up higher than the surface itself as the ripples now begin to flow backwards. Kazuma pulls Luminite out before stepping back as he and Lia prepare for whatever it was that was about to happen here. The light brightens, the pulses come faster and faster until... the light faded, and the pulses stopped.

"Did something go wrong?"

asked Lia. A split second later, the water erupts as a massive serpent like creature emerges from beneath the waters, making both Kazuma and Lia freak out as they grab hold of each other in terror.

What follows is Kazuma's first REAL boss fight against the Guardian of the Waters who was really nothing more than a giant serpent rising from the center of the spring. Its main attack is using water whips to smack the ground and swing around the circular battlefield.

It could also release a stream of water from its mouth like a laser, dive beneath the water to create a crashing wave that can only be avoided by hopping up onto rocks. He can also bring its head down low in an attempt to bite its foes, which is also the only time it becomes vulnerable, allowing Kazuma to hop onto its head to strike the gemstone just above its eyes.

During the fight, Lia suffers a leg injury that leaves her vulnerable to being squashed though Kazuma comes in and saves her, earning both a look of surprise from her and a little blush as well. In the end, after landing six or seven hits on the gemstone which causes it to crack and finally break, Kazuma finally defeats the guardian.

As the guardian cries out in defeat as its body breaks down into water, Kazuma makes his way over to Lia to see how she was doing.

"You doing OK there, Lia. Is the leg alright?"

"Not really. I think my legs broken. Other than that, I'm fine... thanks to you. Why did you save me back there, anyways? I mean, we are technically enemies, after all. Just because we hadn't come to blows yet doesn't mean we weren't going to in the future, so why?"

"I don't know. Maybe because you don't strike me as a bad guy... bad girl, I mean. Also, I guess it's because..."

"Because?"

Kazuma averts his gaze, scratching his cheek while looking a little embarrassed as he finally says-

"Because... I just felt that a girl as beautiful as you shouldn't be taken from the world so soon!"

If Lia was able to deny to herself that she had been blushing before, when he had saved from being killed, there was no way she could deny it now. In fact, she was also pretty sure his words had made her heart skip a beat as well as she brings a hand to her heart. She then looks at Kazuma, seeing the hero of the Stylish Style Kingdom with new eyes.

"Thank you, Kazuma. No one has... look, something's happening with the spring."

Kazuma turns to see she was right, that something was happening. To be more exact, the alter he had been looking for was rising from the waters, along with a few rocks he could use as a path to reach it. Looking back at Lia, who gives him a nod, he steps away and makes his way over to it.

Reaching the cerulean blue alter, Kazuma places Luminite into it, filling the room with a pulsing blue light. Then, from the alter appeared the form of a ghostly being, taking the form of a girl all colored in various shades of blue. The female, ghost like spirit opens her eyes and proclaims excitedly-

"Ahhhh, now that was a nice nap. Too nice, in fact. Who dares to awaken the beautiful and glorious spirit of water, Aqua, from her..."

The spirit named Aqua then looks down, seeing Kazuma looking up at her. She then spots Luminite in the alter, making her let out a sigh.

"Oh great, don't tell me one of those destined times has arrived. I'm not ready to start lending my powers out to anyone yet. Can't be helped I guess. Let's see who our latest idiot... I mean hero is."

She then begins to float around Kazuma, giving him an inquisitive look before coming to hover before him and says frankly-

"Are you sure YOU'RE the newest hero, kid? No offense, but you really don't look like... anything, actually. Oh well, I suppose it could be worse. What's your name, kid?"

"First, I'd like to think I look a little more like... something more than what you see me as. As for my name, it's Kaz..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, who really cares. As for me, my name is Aqua. Yes, the water spirit, Aqua. Most powerful of the five spirits as well as the kindest, most beautiful and benevolent, and kind. I am also the smartest in my little group of spirits. Nice to meet you... um... what was your name again?"

"Like I told you... or tried to tell you before you cut me off, my name is..."

"I know, how about I call you bum. Is that OK with you, bum? Alright, bum it is!"

Kazuma had a feeling this spirit was going to be nothing but problematic for him. Hopefully, her powers were as strong as her ego. Kazuma then hears Lia cry out in pain, probably from her injured leg which catches Aqua's attention as well.

"Hm, looks like that cute girl over there is hurting. OK bum, take the sword back into your hand and go over there to help her already. This will be as good a time as any to show you what it is I can do."

"Thanks for stating the obvious, spirit girl."

"That's master Aqua to you, bum!"

Kazuma rolls his eyes before pulling Luminite from the alter, quickly noticing a blue tear shaped stone had appeared on the blade just above the hilt. He then makes his way back over to Lia who can't take her eyes off Aqua's spirit form.

"I can't believe it. I'm actually seeing a real spirit. This is amazing!"

"Yeah, I am pretty amazing, aren't I."

"Pat yourself on the back later. For now, tell me what you can do so I can do it for Lia here."

"Watch that tone of yours, bum. Don't forget that I'm the one in charge... (Kazuma sends Aqua a look that makes her take pause, then say with a little more care) ...Ah, yes... just hold the sword out before you and say Shift: Aqua. It'll then change its form into one that can properly utilize my powers here."

"Got it. Alright, here we go... Shift: Aqua!"

Luminite begins to glow brightly as it becomes a blue light shaped like a blade before turning and becoming a new weapon. Once the light fades, Kazuma and Lia both marvel at the new cerulean colored object Kazuma was holding which had a rippling water effect happening on its surface as well.

"Huh, so your weapon form isn't a sword but a Mace instead. That's cool. I can work with a blunt..."

"A mace? What are you talking about, you idiot bum. You must be blind because anyone with half a brain would know that what you're holding now is a Scepter. I repeat, a SCEPTER! Go on and tell him, whatever your name is."

"Actually, I agree with Kazuma, miss spirit. It looks more like a mace than a scepter."

"Gah, well... if that's how it's going to be..."

"(annoyed) Stop wasting time and tell me what to do now, Aqua."

"... Fine, but only because I feel sorry to see her suffer... from having to be reliant on you, that is. Just hold the SCEPTER out before you, over the injured area and says Heal. It'll take care of the rest."

Kazuma and Lia look at each other, then Kazuma does as instructed. A soothing green light rains down from the mace onto Lia's leg and after a few seconds, she was standing, feeling one hundred percent again. As she walks around, testing to make sure her leg was truly better, Kazuma looks back at Aqua who boast-

"See, I knew my healing power would work on her. Aren't I someone amazing. Go on, you can start praising me lots now."

"How about you tell me what else you can do instead, Aqua. After all, knowing how to use you properly will make things easier for me going forward."

"What, how dare you... fine. In addition to the ability to heal others with my power, you will also find I can dispel barrier and allow you to breath underwater. You can also walk on water as well as rely on my powers to help keep yourself cool in hot areas, which will be helpful seeing as one of my sisters makes her home in a VERY hot place."

"Good to know. Thanks for the help... and nice to be working with you, master Aqua!"

Hearing that makes Aqua smile before giving him a nod. She then pulls a vanishing act, turning into a small ball of light as she heads into the mace before seeing it returned to its sword form. Once he places the sword back in the sheath that guy Ruffian made for him back in the city, Kazuma walks over to Lia and asks-

"So, what happens now?"

"Hm, guess I'll be heading back and make my report to the chancellor."

"And that will be?"

"That this place is the source of the kingdom's water supply and that's it. Nothing else of importance. That hopefully should keep any further visits by our forces from happening though I can't make any promises there."

"Good enough for me. So... I guess this is goodbye then?"

"For now. Who knows though, maybe if the fates will it, we'll cross paths with one another again. Should your search for the other spirits lead you to the right areas though, you may have a run in with my three companions... well, I guess I should say two companions and our team's leader, but you don't need to worry as they're quite agreeable too... though they DO have their own unique personality quirks about them. Oh, and SIR Kazuma..."

Lia then leans in and plants a kiss on his cheek.

"Take care of yourself until we can meet again."

After that, Lia turns and leaves the area. Kazuma just stands there, to stunned as he places a hand on the spot Lia had just kissed. He couldn't be sure, but he was pretty confident he had just fallen in love.

"Ah, isn't that cute. The bum has himself a little crush there. Too bad she's way outside your league."

"Shut up, Aqua. No one asked you for your opinion here."

Kazuma then leaves the opened air cavern where the spring resided, taking a look at the greater area. He then begins heading towards the path when Aqua says-

"Wait, don't tell me you're going to take the LONG way down, are you?"

"Well... yeah, actually. Why? Is there a quicker way down I can take?"

"Of course there is, bum. Just jump down from the tops of the waterfall. You'll be back at the bottom in no time... and maybe it'll let you see that cutie of a girl you like again."

"That does sound nice... but I can't swim, just so you know."

"WHAT? Are you serious here... no, I guess it would be normal to hear that a bum can't swim. Don't worry though. Remember, with my power, you don't have to worry about drowning here."

"When you say that, I guess I can..."

"Exactly, exactly. Now, stop wasting time here and get to the diving already."

Kazuma nods, then takes Luminite into his hands again. He then shifts it into its water mace form before making his way over to the fast-moving waters before the top of the falls. Taking a deep breath, he goes to walk on the water to make his way over to the edge... and he finds himself falling into the water, being swept very quickly to said edge.

"AQUA...!"

"Oh right, I forgot to mention that you can ONLY walk on water so long as the water's surface is calm and fairly still. Any fast moving and rough currents can't be walked on. Was there also something about the ability to breath under water I forgot to mention?"

"AQUA... I'M GOING TO KILL YOUUUUUU...!"

} The Imperial Princess Returns {

Vanir was going over the war table, looking at all the stats being shown about the progress behind the invasion. His musing over the data is interrupted when a soldier comes running into the room.

"Lord Vanir, lord Vanir... we have a problem."

"And what would that..."

Before he could finish saying anything, there was a loud crashing sound coming from the central control room, followed by the sounds of shouting and... men screaming in terror. Curious, Vanir heads out into the control room to find...

Some psychotic girl beating the crap out of all the male soldiers present. Strangely though, none of the female soldiers seemed to have been touched by this new arrival. Vanir looks at the soldier who had alerted him of the issue, waiting for an explanation.

"Well?"

"Well, sir... she somehow managed to take control of one of our transport ships and used it to make her way onto the base. She then proceeded to tear through anyone or anything that got in her way. And all she keeps saying is..."

"Iris... Iris... where is MY Iris? If you bastards have done anything to her, I swear I'll..."

More soldiers enter the room, joining the others with dog piling Claire till she was pinned to the ground though it was clear she was still trying to put up a fight. And from the looks of it, she might actually be able to win as despite having dozens upon dozens of soldiers on top of her, she was still showing signs of being able to break free.

Vanir then realizes she looks somewhat familiar to him. Walking forward, he studies her more closely while Claire sneers at him, saying-

"What are you looking at me like that, you disgusting man. Just wait till I get out of here, I'll..."

"Ah, I thought I recognized you... Imperial Princess Claire. We thought you were dead."

"Imperial Princess... wait, I'm the... I remember now!"

A smile begins to form on Claire's face followed by a rather insane sounding laugh. Vanir then orders everyone to get off of Claire before helping her stand. Surprisingly, she accepts his hand when it comes to helping her get back onto her feet.

She then looks Vanir over before saying-

"I remember you... Vanir the high chancellor to my mother... (less enthused sounding) … and my father. Also known as Vanir the eunuch."

"Ah-ah-ah, you can't be a eunuch it you come from a race with no defined gender at birth. So, care to tell me what happened to you, lady Claire. We had been told you have been lost in a terrible explosion while going on a little tour around the land."

"That did happen, yes. Not sure what happened really as I was napping at the time. It doesn't matter as I'm alive and that's enough. So, I take it you have the princess Iris somewhere inside this place."

"Of course. She's been shown the best of treatment, being allowed to bunk inside the best guest room we can offer anyone. The kind usually reserved for diplomats and such."

"Good, good. Well, if you excuse me... I'm going to pay her a little visit, hehe..."

"Ah, before you go indulging in any PERSONAL DESIRES here, shouldn't you first focus on the task at hand?"

"Meaning?"

"Well, the subjugation of the people of Stylish Style to begin with. The sooner we can finish up here, the sooner we can head back home and once there, you and the princess Iris can have ALL the time you'll need for yourselves, am I right."

"Hm... yeah, I guess that makes sense. Alright, I will personally see to the conquest to this whole place. You there, girl. I want all the female soldiers still on the ship brought before me at once. Hurry..."

As Claire begins to boss everyone around, the soldier that had first alerted Vanir to the arrival of Claire leans over and asks-

"Sir, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean... that girl, she's a little..."

"Ah yes, to be expected of one whose Amazonian heritage is so strongly dictated."

"Amazonian, sir?"

"Yes, as I'm sure you may know, the Amazon Tribe have existed for many thousands of years. They have always hated men, even having a policy to kill them on sight sometimes. How they reproduce with that mindset is a great mystery. Now, our empress herself is actually an Amazonian, but unlike her sisters, she actually likes men, hence the reason she ran away from her tribe and married the emperor after meeting him by chance."

"According to the empress, the Amazon's have started to decline and die out. Probably because their method of reproducing isn't working anymore. Also, she isn't sure why she has such an interest in men, but she thinks it may because of a book she read as a child."

"Anyways, Claire was the first-born child and at first, she was very kind like her mother... until after she turned seven which is when she became a serious man hater like the rest of the tribe. She would attack any male without cause, tried to poison her own father, and even nearly killed her baby brother following his birth. It was that incident that led to the decision to kill her in a little accident though that clearly failed. I actually feel bad for the people of the Stylish Style for having to deal with her now."

"Wow, then why put her in charge?"

"Simple. There is a chance Moi here might have jumped the gun with this invasion as it is possible the words of the emperor may have been misunderstood. As such, having her take command will be a way to save our necks as if this whole invasion was a mistake, we can pin the blame on Claire here."

"I see. You are indeed a brilliant, and scary man, Sir Vanir."

said the soldier as they look back at Claire, already seeing her being mean to another male soldier.

} The Super Cute Cherry Blossom {

After somehow surviving his trip to the bottom of the falls, Kazuma made his way back to the city, then to the castle where he showed Rain his first gain. After having a little celebration, Kazuma takes a nice long rest before heading out the explore the city some more as Rain looks for the location of the next element.

Thanks to the power of Aqua, Kazuma is able to take care of some side quest and tasks asked of him by the locals. Once they had been dealt with, he returns and learns his next destination will be the southern mountains, where he would find some abandoned mines and an active volcano, where the second element awaited him.

"You know Rain. Seeing as the first element was located to the cardinal east of the Hero's tower and now the fire element is to the cardinal south, wouldn't that mean that the earth and wind elements would be located at the west and north cardinal directions then?"

"Actually... that does makes sense. I'll look into that right away."

Kazuma couldn't help but wonder if she already knew where they all were and was just doing things this way for... reasons or something. Still, with the knowledge that the fire element would likely be somewhere around the volcano, if not inside the volcano itself, he sets out to find the fire.

Once Kazuma had arrived at the southern area of the kingdom, he could see the remains of the old mining town that use to be here. He also noticed something else too; it was unusually warm and humid. Sure, maybe that would start to become the norm as he drew closer to the volcano itself, but he was still a ways off from there so why was if feeling like it did here now?

"Rain, what can you tell me about this place?"

he asked while holding the charm.

["This is the southern mining town. Originally, this was just a rocky area without much going on as few didn't want to risk angering the fire spirit. Our kingdom's mining endeavors are actually mainly done on the western side of the kingdom but after discovering some rare Gleam crystal variants in this area, the decision was made to begin mining here despite the potential risk."]

"And I'm guessing the fire spirit didn't take kindly to that action."

["Actually, she was said to be surprisingly chill about the whole thing, so long as we maintained a set distance from HER mountain. Unfortunately, not everyone seemed to get the memo about that little detail as a few miners did try digging a little too close to the volcano. As a result, the fire spirit triggered some lava flows to start working their way through the area, both above and below ground, which causes some monster to awaken, thus causing any and all mining to be halted. The warmer air the increase in humidity is also a consequence of that happening too."]

"... And what kind of monsters are we talking about exactly?"

["Fire types, of course. Flame spewing salamanders, burning bats inside the caves, sentient Plumes that will rise from the rivers of lava to spit fireballs at you, and I think pissy mole creatures who aren't happy with us digging in their homes to begin with. You know, the usual."]

"Great, terrific even. Oh well, at least I have the perfect counter for all that right here."

Kazuma then pulls Luminite out and shifts it into its mace form. He then begins his trek to the volcano, hoping the fire spirit didn't take his presence the wrong way here.

After walking for a bit, Kazuma finally spots a local beast; a red colored snail with a molten shell leaving a smearing of fire in its wake that takes a few moments before going out. While killing a creature minding its own business and not bothering him did make Kazuma feel bad, he still wanted to see how effective this water mace could be on a fire elemental creature and so he runs up to the surprised snail, shouting a battle cry, and sends the mace conking down onto its stunned head.

"Haha, take that you fiery... snail... hey, why didn't..."

The mace hadn't done any visible damage at all. A glow comes from the mace as Aqua's ghostly spirit form appears beside Kazuma, asking-

"What the hell are you doing? Using my sacred and pure scepter body to attack a monster with. Are you insane... or stupid. Actually, you must be insanely stupid."

"What are you talking about. You tell me why this mace, and it it a mace and not a scepter, didn't do any kind of damage to this thing. Sure, I know it's a blunt weapon, but it should have still done something to this guy here."

"Why would it cause any damage, surely you remember that... oh right, I didn't tell you about that, did I?"

"Tell me what, exactly?"

"Um, well... you see... my weapon form can't actually be used to attack a target. I'm mainly a support item, used to assist, not harm."

"But this is a fire elemental foe. Surely you can injury them, being a water..."

"Yes, yes, I can see why you would think that. But it's not that simple as while you are using an opposing element to attack, do note that my natural healing powers will fix them up from any injury you do right away."

"WHAT?"

"Hm, I guess if you were fighting some kind of undead beast, like a zombie, you could use me to injure them, seeing as they're undead and all. But, apart from that, yeah... you aren't going to want to rely on me for anything outside healing, empowering, and dispersing. Also... I would start running if I were you."

"Huh, why... oh cap!"

Kazuma realizes that the snail had recovered from his surprise attack against it and was now looking quite mad. The next thing he knows, he's running for his life as the snail, moving WAY faster than he thought was possible, gave chase while spitting burning goo his way.

After making an escape and spending a few hours looking around, Kazuma had finally reached the volcano. He had become quite skilled at switching between Luminite and Aqua but had a feeling he would be relying on Aqua from here on out as things were really getting hot and humid now.

"So, I really need to head inside the volcano to reach the location of the alter, huh?"

"That's right. Sure, you CAN walk up the slopes which would be faster here, but there's a big risk to that. Going through the tunnels will be longer, and annoying too, but is the safer path."

Kazuma wasn't completely sure if Aqua was correct with her assessment, but he wanted to believe him dying here wouldn't do her any favors here either, so he decided to trust her. Taking a deep breath, which had been a bad idea given all the sulfur in the air, he steps inside only to find...

"Ahhhh, so hot... to hot. Surely, this is the end of poor Erika..."

He saw a girl laying on the ground, crying out in despair. On instinct, he quickly runs over to his side. Kneeling down beside her, he begins using the healing power of the mace on her, finding it didn't seem to be working.

"That's not going to work, Kazuma. She's not injured, just suffering from severe heat exhaustion. Clearly, this girl isn't designed to handle high temperature areas like this place is."

"Erika told them she wasn't right for this. Erika said this would happen. Poor Erika, going to die here all alone and burned up."

"She also likes to speak in the third person too. Hey, are you OK?"

"Huh, what...? Oh no, now Erika is seeing and hearing things. This truly is the end of poor Erika."

"You're not seeing or hearing anything strange. I'm real. My names Kazuma and I'm guessing your name is Erika."

"Yes, Erika is Erika. Won't you please save Erika here and help her out here?"

"I guess I can take a few minutes to take you outside and away from the volcano. It'll still be rather warm and all that, but you should be able to do something for yourself again."

"Erika thanks you for that but Erika can't leave here yet. Erika needs to reach the crater so Erika can confirm something important. That is her mission here... please help Erika complete her mission."

'Her mission? Does that mean you're also part of the same team Lia is a part of?'

"I... guess I can help you with that. But tell me first, do you know a girl named Lia be any chance?"

"Lia, yes I know Lia. Lia and Erika are close friends and co-workers. Together with Erika's other friend, Cielo, we hope to one day find something more fun than military stuff. Things that can make everyone happy while helping Erika to look even cuter than Erika already is."

"I see... and between you and me, Erika, I personally think you're super cute."

"Erika is... super cute?"

"Aqua, tell me something. Does your ability to cool someone down while in this place extend to anyone else as well?"

"Hm, I think so... so long as they're in physical contact with one another. The more the contact, the better the effect."

"Gotcha. So Erika, will you have any issue if I carry you on my back till our joint time here has been completed."

"Carried on your back? Well, since you said Erika was super cute, Erika says it's OK to be carried around by you as it will allow Erika to save strength from having to walk around herself."

After that. Kazuma gets Erika onto his back before the two of them continue towards the great crater.

} The Passionate Element of Fire {

It turns out hauling Erika around on his back may not have been the best of ideas for Kazuma to go with here. By carrying around Erika, he had essentially handicapped himself for this part of the trek.

First, with her added weight, though not all that much, he found his movement speed and action time was diminished somewhat. He also found being able to attack enemies was almost impossible too. This caused Kazuma to have to handle this trip to the crater in a way he wasn't quite used too.

He, essentially, was having to do a sneaking mission to avoid all the monsters inside the volcano.

While this wasn't the most fun, he was still actually having the time of his life. Was it because he had a super cute girl on his back. Sure, of course. Could feeling her warm breath hitting his ear whenever she breathed or said something to him, you bet. But the true reason why Kazuma was actually loving this time with her was obvious.

It was because she had her large, bubbly, probably bouncy too, boobs all smooshed up against his back and he was feeling many different details of her boobs with every breath she took, and it was having an impact on him and his body.

It took them a good long while to reach their goal, but finally... they managed to reach the crater.

"Wait, is that?"

said Erika as they entered the crater, finding a strange machine hovering over the crater, sending a powerful beam of energy into the pool of molten lava. Curious, Kazuma asks-

"What is it, Erika? Do you know what that machine is and what's going on in here."

"Yes, Erika knows. That machine is meant to feed energy into devices that are lacking in power, but Erika doesn't understand. Why would chancellor Vanir use such a device in the crater. Surely he knows doing what it's doing will cause the volcano to erupt."

"What? The volcano is going to..."

"OK, I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"

shouts out a voice from somewhere beneath the room, a powerful commanding voice. The Ground then begins to shake as the lave pool begins to churn and swirl about.

"YOU KNOW, I CONFESS I WASN'T BOTHERED BY WHAT YOU WERE DOING AT FIRST. IN FACT, I QUITE ENJOYED IT. LIKE HAVING SOMEONE SCRATCH THAT ONE SPOT ON YOUR BACK YOU JUST CAN'T REACH. BUT NOW, THAT BACK SCRATCHING HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH. EITHER STOP NOR OF FACE MY WRATH!"

The shaking gets worse and worse as Kazuma finds Erika pulling one of her hands away from hanging off his shoulder to do something. He then hears her say-

"HQ, HQ, do you copy. This is Erika, wanting to ask why a Power Driver was sent to the Stylish Volcano area. Erika had been informed that Erika was to inspect the sight for any potential Gleam worth collecting."

"Erika, who are you..."

"OK, THAT DOES IT. DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!"

Just then, the pool of lava explodes outwards, making Kazuma start running all over the place as he avoids all the raining drops of lava that would fry him and Erika if they were hit by any. Meanwhile, a massive fiery sphere appears, slamming into the Energy Driver and completely destroying it, sending bits and pieces of its remains falling along the edge of the crater.

Once that was over, Kazuma lets out a sigh of relief while he feels Erika giving him a piggyback hug.

"Good job, Kazuma. You saved Erika and yourself from the dang..."

Her words stop as they realize the sphere, which had a creepy looking face on it by the way, had turned to glare at them.

"SO, YOU TWO ARE THE ONES BEHIND THAT THING. PREPARE DO BE PUNISHED!"

Kazuma and Erika scream in terror as Kazuma begins running for their lives.

The first phase of this encounter against the Bomb shaped Magma Guardian is mainly dodging it's attempt at ramming them. After a few failed strikes, the guardian would then begin to charge with power, making Aqua suggest they find cover otherwise even her power won't be enough to save them.

There was only one option here, to use the remains of the Energy Driver to cover themselves, saving them from being vaporized when the guardian explodes. Of course, it wasn't that easy as the guardian could rebuild itself right after, thus the cycle continued.

Finally, Kazuma, feeling desperate, asks Aqua.

"OK, I confess. I don't know what to do here, Aqua. Please, tell me how do defeat this guy."

"Sure, just say 'please tell me how to save myself here, oh great and intelligent master Aqua-sama!'"

"You know what, forget it. I'd rather die than ask you for any advice here."

That was likely going to happen, seeing as the guardian was now starting to add spitting balls of fire at them to its arsenal.

Finally, it was Erika who managed to convince Aqua to tell them what to do.

"Fine, but only because I don't want that poor girl to suffer along with you, bum. Look, I said my weapon form can't be used to damage anything that isn't undead, which is the truth. However, and as much as I hate to say this, you can use me like a baseball bat and swat those meteor stand-ins back at the guardian. That's the only way to damage it."

"Swat its projectile attacks back at it. Yeah, I can do that."

"Just be aware this IS going to take time to do. And I do mean a LONG time too. Sorry but that's how the cookie crumbles, what with the whole fire being used to damage fire and all."

"Great, terrific!"

"Actually, maybe Erika can help with that. You see, Erika has a special power that allows her to enchant any weapon she is touching to shift the element touched by a weapon to the same element the weapon in question has, so long as the weapon has an elemental alignment to begin with."

"Wait, so if you touch the Aqua Mace..."

"AQUA SCEPTER!"

"Like I said, the Aqua Mace (Aqua screams) then you can make it so that when I bat the meteors back at the guardian, they'll take on a water affinity, even if they remain looking all fire based?"

Erika nods before making a slight adjustment to her position on Kazuma back so she could touch some part of the mace. Kazuma went to warn her about the potential dangers of touching the mace, but isn't fast enough, not that it seemed to matter as he heard Erika let out a giggle.

"Erika's fingers feel all tingly now."

"I have a bad feeling about this."

says Aqua as Kazuma finally begins his counterattack.

To Aqua's surprise, Erika really did seem to have the kind of ability she said she had as hitting the meteors back at the guardian appeared to do a lot more damage than was expected. While there was still plenty of near misses in the fight, Kazuma and Erika ended up claiming the victory.

As they take a moment to celebrate, the alter appears, rising from the lava pool. And with it, appeared a fiery spirit, taking the form of a female child wearing a weird and goofy looking hat.

"OK, first off. What the hell? I mean, who defeated my little guardian there? Do you have any idea how long I..."

The fire spirit spies Kazuma and Erika, the latter giving her a friendly wave, making the spirit shout out-

"Wait, it was you two nobodies? How, what... how?"

"Hey Megumin, been a while, huh?"

said Aqua, appear over Kazuma and Erika and zooming over to her fellow spirit. The fire spirit named Megumin was surprised to see her watery counterpart, evident by her saying-

"Aqua, what are you doing here. I thought you hated coming around my place for a visit."

"Oh, I do. No question there. Not much of a choice this time, seeing as I just had to come help that guy there."

"Hm, that guy. You mean the guy with the serious face? Why would you need to help him out?"

After Kazuma explained the situation to Megumin.

"I see, so the time has come, has it. The time for me to go forth and show the world the depths of my power. Mwa-ha-ha, so be it. Very well, sir Kazuma. Go, place Chunchunmaru into the alter and I will add my power to the fold."

"Sure, I can... wait, Chunchunmaru?"

"That's what Megumin has always called the sword. That's not the official name but try convincing her of that."

"And why can't it be the actual name. I personally think Chunchunmaru is a way better name that the one Eris came up with. I mean, seriously. Luminite? Surely she can do better than that."

Kazuma assumes Eris was the name of another one of the spirits. He then lets Erika off his back for a few moments so he can step out onto the path that had appeared on the lava pool. He walks over to the alter, returns Luminite to its blade form, then places in in the alter.

A few moments later, and with Luminite back in Aqua Mace mode and Erika piggybacking him again, they make their way back outside the volcano. As they go, Megumin explains how her powers work.

"OK, all you need to understand is that my power is all fire based. My weapon can keep you warm in colder environments, which will be helpful when it comes time to collect the wind element. You can also use my weapon to light areas that are dark, though I'd rather you not do that. Unlike Aqua, I can attack though... in fact, attacking is my personal forte. My weapon will unleash a ball of fire that will travel to your desired target, then explode; taking them and anything around it out in a blaze of glory."

Kazuma was impressed with Megumin and the confidence in her voice and promised to give her power a try once they were in a more agreeable climate. Once they had finally reached the exit to the volcano, Erika finally gets a response from HQ.

Once outside, Kazuma lets Erika down who, after ending her call, looks at him and says-

"Erika was given an explanation from HQ. It seems it wasn't chancellor Vanir who ordered this, but our new leader for the invasion, the Imperial Princess."

"And she would be?"

"(shrugs) Erika doesn't have a clue because Erika didn't know there was an imperial princess at all. Either way, Erika needs to head back and make her report. Don't worry, Erika will say there's nothing of value here worth bothering with. Erika will do this as her way to thank Kazuma for his help before."

"I'm glad to hear it. I am worried about this new person who's in charge. I wonder, was this imperial princess trying to make the volcano erupt or something? Was she trying to destroy the ENTIRE kingdom by doing that?"

"With the amount of power being blasted into the crater, had I not done something to stop it, the eruption would have destroyed most of the kingdom as a consequence."

said Megumin.

"Erika isn't sure but Erika will find out. Well, Erika must say goodbye now but hopes we can meet again one day. Oh, and Kazuma, Erika has another thank you for you to give."

"Oh, and what would that..."

Before Kazuma could finish, Erika jumps him, kissing him right on the lips. This makes Aqua and Megumin both start to make gagging noises.

"Ugh, such a cute girl... kissing a lousy bum like him. That's so... so..."

"Gross, disgusting. If I had a stomach, I'm sure I'd be puking right now. God, I hate mushy stuff."

After a few moments, the kiss finally ends with Erika giving Kazuma a shy grin.

"That was Erika's first kiss, you know. Kazuma should be grateful for such an honor. Maybe if Erika can meet Kazuma again someday, Erika will give him even more kisses to go along with that one."

Erika then laughs happily before turning and running off into the distance. Kazuma just stands there for a moment, still lost from the feeling and experience. Megumin finally snaps him back to reality, shouting-

"Daydream later, Kazuma. I want you to test out my power. I want you to do it RIGHT NOW!"

"Alright, alright. One display of your fire power coming up. Shift: Megumin!"

Luminite glows, reshaping itself into a mage staff. He then holds it out, aiming for the sky above. Then, saying the command Megumin tells him to say-

"EXPLOSION!"

The sky above them erupts with fire and destruction, the shock wave alone causing the very earth to shake and quake. It was so much that Kazuma finds himself being knocked onto his back.

"Oh yeah, how long has it been since I was able to do that? So, how was it, Kazuma?"

"How was it? Well, I can say all your boasting is well founded. That was incredible. With that kind of firepower, there's no way we'll... wait, why can't I move?"

"Shame, Megumin, shame-shame-shame for not warning him before hand."

"Warn me? Warn me about what exactly?"

"Ah... yes, there were a few things I left out. You see, my power can only be channeled into an attack once per day and once unleashed, the user... you in this case, will be unable to move at all for at least an hour following the unleashing of my power. Now, I'm sure that may seem like a horrible trade off, but you have to admit that it's more than..."

"Aqua, Megumin, you're both incredibly worthless!"

} The Princess Makes Her Escape {

Iris was making a jail break.

To be fair, she hadn't been kept inside any cell since being kidnapped by the Everyone Else Empire. In fact, the room she had been made to stay in had been quite nice, perhaps even better that her own bedroom back home. The food was also surprisingly good too. In fact, she had been treated quite kindly, all things considered.

She was also of the mind that she didn't mind waiting here for Kazuma to arrive and rescue her, like those old fairy tales about the heroic knight coming in to save the princess. Iris had always dreamed of a handsome knight arriving to save her life and sweep her off her feet and Kazuma was as good a candidate as any in her eyes.

She just couldn't afford to wait around for him though, as much as she wanted too. You see, the thing of it is was the fact Kazuma would actually need her help with claiming the power of the elements. Sure, Rain would be able to help him find the location of the four, but he will have a much easier time with her at his side, especially when it came to the wind element, where Iris being present would be a requirement.

And so, she had to escape. But how would she go about doing that? Actually, it was rather easy, and it was all thanks to her kidnappers themselves. You see, the room they had tossed her into was a room usually meant for individuals of high ranking. Because of this, there was always a secret passage that would lead to an escape pod that could be used in case of emergencies.

And it hadn't taken long for Iris to find the secret switch to reveal the hidden passage.

Actually, she had found it within a few hours of being brought to flying fortress of the invaders. The problem had been knowing how to operate it. Luckily, she had found a book inside the pod and had just finished reading the instruction manual and was now ready to leave.

After the latest check in from the guard outside, Iris was on her way. Making her way quickly to the pod, shouldn't help but get excited over the thought of seeing Kazuma again. She just hoped the plan she had cooked up to give them some alone time would work, especially when she knew that Claire...

"So, is the machine ready yet?"

"Almost, imperial princess Claire."

'Wait, what... did I just hear Claire's...'

Iris stops just short of the pod and peeks through a grate on the floor. Sure enough, she could see her longtime friend, bodyguard, combat trainer, and honorary big sister, garbed in the attire of the enemy. Why was she here, commanding the enemy troops.

"Good, I want this machine launched over to the Stylish Spring as soon as possible so it can start contaminating the waters of the kingdom."

"Yes, my princess... ah..."

"What is it?"

"Forgive me, but I don't understand. Why go this far? We were only sent here to collect Gleam, not to wipe out the populace, so all this seems a rather extreme... Also, didn't you spend much of your life here in this place. Why would you wish to destroy them?"

"I don't give a crap about the Stylish Style Kingdom. Never have, to be honest. I only tolerated it because of my love and devotion to my dear Princess Iris. I once had greater plans for the kingdom, once I made Iris my wife, but now that I remember the truth about my past, I..."

Iris didn't need to hear the rest as she already had heard enough.

Iris wasn't no idiot. She had long been aware that Claire's interest in her were more "intimate" than what she tried to let on when around others and while Iris had been flattered, somewhat, she had also never been interested in returning those feelings to Claire.

Claire had been her friend, her honorary sister, and her teacher, that was all to it as far as Iris was concerned. To see Claire now, to hear what Claire had said, had been like a knife to the heart of the princess. Iris wondered if maybe she could have avoided this, if only she had set Claire straight from the beginning.

'I guess this is goodbye, Claire. Today, we start walking different roads. Now, I have a job to do.'

Iris now had a change of plans. Originally, she was going to head to the castle once she had escaped. Now, she would be making a detour to the Sacred Springs so she can destroy this machine the moment it arrives. She just hoped she would be able to do it by herself.

} Teamwork Without Touching {

Rain, having correctly guessed what would happen to Kazuma after reading up on how the fire elements power worked, she had gone out herself and recovered him. After a night of rest, and scolding the stubborn and obstinate Megumin about being more practical with her powers and how to use them, Kazuma took care of a few more side quest before setting out to the west...

To the many canyons of the Stylish Style Kingdom, where the earth element awaited him.

"I've arrived, Rain. So, what can you tell me about this place?"

["Plenty of caves, some of which are mines. Lots upon lots of holes in the ground. Beware of the regular earthquakes that occur in the area as they can be problematic, especially if you're trying to do something that involves the risk of falling to your painful death."]

"Thanks for the warning... isn't there an easier way to get to the element... on that topic, any idea where I'll even find the element around here?"

["If there's an easier way, it's not written in any of the books I've checked. As for the elements location? If I'm reading this correctly, it'll be located inside the deepest crater of the canyons. Whether it's located out in the open or inside a cave or something, I can't say."]

"In other words, keep heading down. Gotcha."

With that, Kazuma began his trek through the canyons. Along the way, he faced off with plenty of earth themed beast like little mini sized golems, worms that could launch surprise attacks from below, and, strangely enough, rock body toads and a few other weird looking things.

Nothing Kazuma couldn't handle by this point, though he still found himself being fairly challenged. Not by the monsters themselves, but from all the back seating talking Aqua and Megumin were having. They would either be telling him what to do, critiquing his choice of actions, or catching up after having not talked in so long.

Seriously, their chatter was so annoyingly distracting that it caused him to suffer more than a few close calls.

Not long after entering his first mandatory cavern in order to continue, he finally met a new girl, likely the third member of the group Lia and Erika were a part of.

"Hello, you must be Lia and Erika's friend."

"Ah... (girl jumps before looking back at Kazuma with a worried and timid expression) Who... who are you? How do you know Lia and Erika?"

One quick explanation later.

"I see, so you helped them out before, despite being enemies. Thank you for that, assuming you are telling me the truth, that it. Um... my name is Cielo. Who are you?"

"I'm Kazuma, summoned hero for the Stylish Style. Nice to meet... you...?"

Kazuma had extended his hand out to Cielo only for her to immediately recoil and shrink back away from him. This confused him, making Kazuma say-

"Um, is something wrong? I... I'm aware I'm not the most handsome of guys, but both Lia and Erika seemed to think I was OK. I'm pretty sure Iris and Rain also..."

"It's not that. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be weird here, sir... I mean Kazuma. You see, the deal with me is..."

Another explanation comes and goes.

"I see, so you suffer from a condition that prevents you from being able to touch, or be touched, by any males. Yeesh, that has to suck for you."

"Yeah, it does. What's worse, I don't even know why this is either? Did something happen to me in the past I simply can't remember; was I abused or cursed or something? Was I just born this way? I honestly don't know and because I don't know, I have no idea how to overcome it. What's more, if I do make contact with a guy, my body will go onto autopilot and attack him in order to push him away from me."

"So, in other words, best not to touch you unless I want an unintended beating from you. I'll keep that in mind. So, why are you here? Just so you don't have to ask, I'm here to gain the power of the earth element."

"Oh, great idea, moron. Share your game plan with an enemy, Real smart there, buddy."

"Aqua's right, Kazuma. To tell the bad guy present what you're going to..."

"Ah, who said that? Hello, who else is in here with us."

"Don't worry, Cielo. Those voices were just my spirit companions. Aqua, Megumin, don't worry. Don't forget that Lia and Erika were ultimately chill, so I see no reason to not give Cielo the benefit of the doubt too."

"Your funeral." (x2)

"Anyways, about why you're here, Cielo?"

"I was just sent here for the same reasons Lia and Erika were sent to their locations, to see if there's anything of value to the Everyone Else Empire. However, I've hit a bit of a snag..."

"You can't go any further?"

Cielo nods, then explains the problem. There appeared to be a set of pressure plates that needed to be stepped on together in order to open the way forward, but seeing as she had come here alone, she couldn't move fast enough to trigger both, and she already knew this was the only way forward.

"I did try to force my way through the door here, using my powerful fist. Oh, I forgot to mention I'm rather strong, despite how I may look to you. Maybe the strongest person in the Empire. Despite that, all I managed to do was dent it a little after a barrage of fist. I'm actually impressed with the strength of this metal, and I wonder if I can for more of it for my own personal usage."

"I see... well, how about this. Me and your two friends ended up working together so why don't we do the same here. We can help each other make it to the deepest crater where the element is said to rest. That way, I can retrieve the element and you can then say you went there before reporting back to your boss, saying there's nothing of value around here."

"I... guess that could work, but to tell my bosses that I didn't find anything..."

"Why not. I mean, that's what Lia and Erika said they were going to do before we parted ways. Granted, I don't actually know if they did as they told me they were going to do but I want to believe they are true to their word."

"They are, I can confirm that without a doubt. If you can help me reach the center of this place, then that will be enough for me and I'll do the same as them and say there was nothing of importance here."

"Alright, then I'll trust you as well. So, where are these pressure plates you spoke of."

After that, Cielo showed Kazuma the two pressure plates in question. Once both were being stepped on, the path opened, and they were able to continue on their way. The rest of the trip to the deepest crater was long and filled with many dangers and close calls.

The enemies weren't that big of a deal, mostly thanks to Cielo's insane strength. The real issues came from the cave ins that occurred when taking the wrong path, the slinking along earth when the pathways became narrow, and the very nerve racking jumps they had to make.

But finally, they made it to then end, though not without one final challenge: a deep hole they had to leap of faith into. Taking a deep breath and nodding, with two annoying spirits nagging them on with saying "Jump, jump, jump," they finally took the plunge into the dark unknown.

} The Unyielding Element of Earth {

After a long fall, they found themselves landing on a bed of sand. Thankfully, there was some forced that insured their landing was a gentle one. Unfortunately, they didn't get time to admire the surrounding walls as the guardian didn't waste time with attacking.

Erupting from the deep beneath the sand with its sharp looking mandibles clicking was the Antlion guardian of the earth element.

"Make sure you stay on your guard with this one, Cielo. You definitely don't want it to get a CRUSH on you."

"Oh god, that was so lame."

"Yeah, you should really leave the snarky comments and well-timed puns to us, Kazuma."

said Aqua and Megumin, shaking their ghostly heads in shame at Kazuma's words. Cielo giggles though, saying-

"True, it was rather... bad. But I still thought it sounded funny."

"At least someone was willing to humor me here. You two useless floating waste of air, stop goofing off and tell me how to defeat this thing already."

"Useless waste of... you know what, you're on your own with this one, bum."

said Aqua, disappearing from sight. Megumin, instead of leaving too, crosses her arms and says-

"I really should do as Aqua did and leave you to figure it out yourself, but seeing the dangers in that, I guess I'll tell you. You simply need to shatter the gem on its face, the one that looks like an eyeball."

"And I'm supposed to do that how? If I get that close, that thing will slice me in half."

"That is true... I know, just use my power to one-shot it. The fight will be over all quick and easy like."

"And leave myself vulnerable for another monster to come kill me over the next hour... hell now."

"Like another enemy is just going to show up in here. This is the site of the alter. Only the guardian can appear here as far as threats."

"Hm, well... if that's the case, I guess I can..."

"Kazuma, watch out."

shouted Cielo, alerting Kazuma to the fact the sand beneath his feet was starting to sink downwards. Luckily, he manages to jump clear in time before the antlion could emerge to rip him in half.

The fight itself was a challenge. Knowing where the antlion was going to emerge from wasn't that hard. Sure, it was fast but not that fast. The problem was being able to get close enough to actually do damage to it. That was the really tricky part here. There were also these land crab things that would occasionally appear, having round shells they could hide in to protect them from attacks.

Finally though, Kazuma had grown tired of all this. Also, Megumin continuing to whisper "Use my power" and "Explosion, Explosion" into his ear didn't help either. He finally shifts to the staff of fire into his hands as he says-

"Cielo, brace yourself. I'm going to end this with one giant ka-boom."

"Wait Kazuma, I think I know how we can damage..."

"EXPLOSION!" (x2)

shouted Kazuma and Megumin in unison. One powerful quake, sand being blasted everywhere alongside bits and pieces of antlion, and a few screams added in for effect later, the fight was over.

"Kazuma, are you OK? Did you hurt yourself back there?"

asked Cielo, recovering quickly and running over to him to check in on him.

"Oh yeah, peachy. Please tell me that did it as I won't be able to move for about an hour or so. Side effect of using the fire element is that I have all my stamina and endurance drained out of me."

"Oh, really... I think I can help with that."

Cielo then digs around in her pouch, then pulls out a vial.

"I have this, something that can help re-energize a person who had become tired after a long day of training. I'm not sure if it can help you here but it's worth a try, right?"

"Sure, I'll give it a shot."

Kazuma then opens his mouth, allowing Cielo to poor the liquid in. Almost immediately, he feels a strange rush of energy beginning to pulse into him.

"I think something's happening."

"That's a good sign. It'll take a few minutes before you can move so just hang in there."

"Sure... by the way, what were you saying before? Something about having figured it all out or something?"

"Yeah, about that. I think those rock crab creatures were supposed to be used to do... something to the antlion. Maybe they could have created an opening by chucking them at the guardian, maybe even using them to damage the gem from a distance."

"Hm, at least someone here has some brains about them."

"Shut up, Aqua."

Suddenly, the whole crater begins to shake, but not because of the alter appearing. Instead, a massive drill machine appears in the skies above, making a landing upon the sand. The drill then begins to spin before sinking down into the sand, causing a new quake to start up.

Just then, Cielo receives a message on her communication device.

"Hello... yes, this is Cielo. What's going on. Why has the Rumble Drill been deployed... what, you can't be serious. Why would chancellor Van... oh, who's this imperial princess person you're talking about."

"Cielo... Cielo, what's going on here?"

"Bad things, Kazuma. Seems some new girl has arrived and taken over for chancellor Vanir. She's sent this machine here with the intention of triggering an earthquake of such power that it'll demolish the entire Stylish Style Kingdom."

"Seriously? This is just like what happened back at the volcano with Erika. There was a machine there too, trying to trigger a destructive eruption to take the kingdom out. What kind of warped mind would even want to do all this to begin with?"

Elsewhere, imperial princess Claire suffers a sneeze, making her wonder who was talking about her.

Back with Kazuma and Cielo, Cielo makes sure her battle gloves were ready for action as she looks at the drill. She then says with total confidence.

"Our mission wasn't to destroy this kingdom, only to obtain as much Gleam as possible. Don't worry, Kazuma. I won't let this drill do its job."

And with that, Cielo goes on the attack.

After an amazing display of fisticuffs action from Cielo, the giant drill machine is destroyed, though this leaves Cielo in danger of being impaled on a big, sharp piece of metal that was awaiting her at the end of her fall following that last blow landed.

Luckily for her, Kazuma had finally recovered enough to take action, coming in and catching her before it was too late. As Kazuma comes to a stop, he looks back at the remains of the drill while Cielo considers the moment and has her own thoughts on this matter.

"Damn, that was a close one. Good thing I was able to regain my mobility again so I could catch you like I did, huh."

'I'm... I'm being held in the arms of a man. A man is touching me and yet... I'm not freaking out. I'm actually remaining calm and not attacking him.'

"Cielo, is something wrong? You look rather... mystified right now?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Just lost in the moment. I'm alright now. Thank you for saving me, Kazuma."

Kazuma then puts Cielo down, then looks around before commenting on the inside of the crater now.

"Yeesh, what a mess. Hope all that chaos didn't wreck the alter any... speaking of, why hasn't the alter..."

"Mm, why'd you have to do that for. The way that machine was messing me up back there was feeling SO amazing. It's not every day a spirit like me can be teased and toyed with so... oh, forget I said all that."

Kazuma and Cielo are caught off guard as a new spirit, surrounded by a golden glow appears before them, taking the form of a girl with long blonde hair and giant ass knockers. A moment later, Aqua and Megumin appear and quickly begin to chat with their earth elemental sister.

Once that was done, the earth element gives Kazuma and Cielo a proper introduction.

"Greetings, my name is Darkness... I know, I know, that name doesn't quite fit for a spirit of the earth, but I digress. I take it you must be the hero of the hour, right?"

"Yeah, I guess I am. Names Satou Kazuma... just Kazuma is fine, though. Nice to meet you, Darkness."

"You as well. (Megumin whispers something into Darkness's ear) Oh right, the alter..."

Darkness then snaps her ghostly fingers, making the alter appear from out of thing air upon the sand. Kazuma and Cielo nod at each other, then Kazuma steps onto the alter and one empowering ritual later, Kazuma had his newest weapon. Or rather, he had his new tool as it wasn't so much a weapon but rather a...

"A shield?"

"Yeah, that's the form my power takes when called upon. My power is DEFENSIVE, after all. No matter what attack comes at you, my power will block and resist it without fail. I can even create magic barriers to surround both you and anyone around you from all sides though this is a more time limited ability."

"I see. That can be helpful. Any drawbacks that comes from using your power?"

"Well, I am a bit clumsy. When my shield is active, you will find your accuracy to be rather bad, if not nonexistent. I would also suggest remaining stationary when using me as my power can muck with your equilibrium if you move about too much. Other than that, I can't think of anything that's worth mentioning."

"At least you're honest and upfront, unlike SOME spirits I have come to know recently."

Megumin and Aqua avert their gazes at hearing that.

With that done, it was time to leave the area. Luckily, Darkness is able to accelerate their departure by opening and revealing new secret passages now Kazuma and Cielo could use in order to travel. As they go, the three spirits take the chance to catch up while Kazuma and Cielo take the opportunity to talk and get to know each other.

Once Kazuma saw that they had reached the edge of the western area, Cielo decides it was time to take her leave.

"Don't worry, Kazuma. I'll tell my superiors it would be a waste of time to do anything around here. Hopefully, I'll be able to learn more about what was yup with sending the Drill around too. Honestly, I beginning to have doubts about my loyalty's now."

"Because you never wanted to join the military. (Cielo nods) I think Lia and Erika said as much too. How about this, why don't you three just quit and leave all that behind. I can put in a good word for you within the Stylish Style Kingdom and help you three find something you'd rather want to do instead."

"You would do that for us, really?"

"Sure. That team leader of yours. If she feels the same as you, then bring her along for the ride. I promise I'll help you all out."

"Thank you, Kazuma. I'll remember that and I'll talk to everyone once I see them again. Also, thank you for saving me back there too. As strong as I am, even I would have been injured badly had I landed on that piece of the drill on the ground."

"That's what I do... wait, I just realized something. I was able to touch you when I saved you. I thought you had that whole..."

Before Kazuma could finish, Cielo moves in close and plants a kiss onto his cheek before pulling back, smiling brightly at him, then turning and running off into the distance. Kazuma reaches up and touches the spot that had just been kissed, the opposite cheek than what Lia had kissed before.

'Huh, I've been kissed by three beautiful girls. Does this mean I could have myself a harem in the making? Hehe, I won't complain if it happens.'

"Ooo, what's this. Is this a sign of something more obscene happening between you two? Well, if that ends up being the case, you can count on big sister Darkness to guide you when it comes to all matters concerning love and romance."

"Darkness, first off, that's disgusting. Second, how to you know anything about how humans go around making babies and such."

"Ask me again once you've grown up, little girl Megumin."

"What did you just..."

"Ahhhh..."

Aqua's sudden crying out caught Kazuma and the other two spirits off guard. When they ask her what was wrong, her response is...

"Something's wrong. I can feel my sacred spring is being attacked. Listen bum, I need you to take me there right away... PLEASE!"

} Reunion with the Princess {

While tired, Kazuma still took Aqua's concern seriously and made his way back to the eastern side of the kingdom. Returning to the area of rivers, lakes, and waterfalls, it was discovered that the water had taken on a murky purplish color. What's more, all the local beasts had been affected as well, turning more violent and dangerous. Harder to defeat as well.

Soon, Kazuma and the three spirits had reached the top and found the source of the polluted waters. A machine dumping all manner of contaminants into the water, which makes Aqua freak out and demand something be done to stop this at once.

Megumin naturally suggest using her power, only to be reminded her power had already been used earlier against the antlion. This gets Megumin complaining about that, even yelling at Kazuma about using her power on the wrong enemy despite Kazuma reminding her that using it then had been her idea.

The early fight was rough, but it gave Kazuma a chance to use shield Darkness to protect himself from attacks, mostly of the poisonous sludge kind. He managed to damage its legs, causing the main body to fall close enough to the ground enough to allow him to jump onto the main body and do some damage before being shaken off. But nothing seemed to be doing any serious damage.

And then, the escape pod with Iris inside comes crashing onto the scene, into the Contaminator, to be more exact. As the princess pulls herself out of the pod...

"Princess... Iris, it's you."

"Sir Kazuma? Ah... sir Kazuma..."

Iris quickly throws him into a hug, crying happily into his chest. Giving her some head pats to comfort her, their happy little reunion is interrupted by the sound of the Contaminator getting back onto its feet and Aqua screaming at them to save the water-work reunion for later.

With the help of Iris, Kazuma finally destroys the machine and in the aftermath, while Kazuma is using Aqua's mace form to restore the purity of the water, Iris explains what had happened during her kidnapping, as well as the betray that had happened.

"So Claire has turned tables and is now leading the enemy... I hate to say this Iris but after how that first meeting with her went and the follow up that came right after you were taken away, I can see that happening with her. I mean, she did have one HELL of an obsession with you."

"As I'm starting to truly understand myself. If my instincts are correct, I'm thinking she'll try to do something with the other sites to create an unnatural disaster to destroy my kingdom, my homeland, and people."

"Well, unless she sends more volcano boomers and earthquake creators to the south and west, we shouldn't have to worry about that. As for the northern areas... still need to go gain the wind spirit, to say nothing of the fifth, wherever that one's supposed to be at."

"Then as soon as we're done here, we need to move quickly. Before it's too late. By the way, anything else of interest happen while I was away?"

Before Kazuma could respond, Aqua does so for him, saying-

"Princess, princess, listen to this. While you were all MIA here, this bum was going around, winning hearts and making babies with three separate girls. Maybe even with that Rain girl, like her name by the way."

"Aqua, that is not what I was doing with those three..."

"Kazuma... has started making babies with three separate women already?"

It takes Kazuma a good long while to give context to Iris, something that isn't helped by these three annoying spirits spinning their own little narratives to confuse the princess further.

} The Gentle Element of Wind {

You would think Rain learning that Claire had essentially turned against the Stylish Style Kingdom, flat out betrayed them for her own personal wants and needs, would have surprised her, shocked her even.

Actually...

"No, her turning like that doesn't surprise me in the slightest, princess Iris. Given the things I've heard her say, the stuff I've seen her do when she thinks no one is looking... I'm actually surprised it as long as she did to go do all this here."

After that, and thanks to Iris's knowledge, Kazuma was able to learn the exact location of the last element he needed to obtain before the LAST actual element would become available to him. It was time for him to set out to the cold, snowy, and VERY windy north.

Naturally, Iris wanted to go with him, wanted to help him out though Rain wasn't sure that would be a good idea. She felt it would be better if Iris remain back at the castle, hiding away within the hero summoning chamber which was the safest, most secure location within the castle... well, beneath the castle. So, naturally, Iris went along with Kazuma because she's the princess and no one tells the princess what she can and can't do.

At least this little adventure allowed Kazuma to try out a new, cold weather outfit.

As said before, the northern mountains, where the wind element was located, it was indeed covered in snow, and ice; cold as the deepest pits of hell, and windy like you wouldn't believe. And what made it even worse was the fact this this would be... the dreaded escort mission of his adventure.

Sure, one could say his time with Erika and Cielo could be seen as escort missions too, but those didn't exactly count. With Erika, she spent the whole time on his back as Kazuma had to be all stealthy with getting around. At least he had to pleasure of feeling her boobs pressed up against him to make it enjoyable.

With Cielo, he didn't actually need to protect her as she, in truth, was more of a danger to the enemies than Kazuma himself had been. Maybe it was because of the enemies there had been male, hence why she had been so active with her attacks against them in between two-person required puzzle solving.

Here, in the north, this was a true escort mission as Kazuma would need to carry Iris when it came to using the wind to either make some LONG jumps across gaps or rely on the air currents to help them reach higher grounds. Well, Kazuma technically didn't NEED to carry Iris in his arms when doing these wind-based challenges, but her smaller and lighter frame had the risk of her being blown away, hence the need to hold onto her all tight and safely.

Besides, Iris wasn't complaining as it meant she got Kazuma to princess carry her which was like a dream come true for girl.

As for the enemies? Nothing of real importance to note. Just your generic flying foes and other creatures who could either blast out wind at unexpected times or ice-based creatures who only made things colder on the trip.

Iris, wanting to help, had brought a bow and arrow combo with her so she could help deal with any flying enemies and enemies who were just outside Kazuma's own attack range. And there were several moments when using Megumin's staff was required to melt ice in order to proceed, though the fire spirit complained a lot about having her powers used for such a lame and pitiful reason.

Finally though, they reached the location of the wind element, according to Iris. There was just one little issue though. There was a massive cyclone tearing ass across the area.

"I hate to say this, Kazuma, but I think that's the guardian there."

"Seriously? How the hell am I supposed to defeat an elemental force like this? At least the other guardians had something of a physical mass about them."

After thinking about it for a moment, Iris looks at him with a worried expression.

"I think I know the answer... but you're not going to like it."

"Why wouldn't I... oh no. No, no, no, you can't be serious here, Iris."

"Why, what do you have to do..."

asked Aqua. A few moments later...

Aqua and Megumin were both screaming in terror while Darkness was squealing with absolute glee as Kazuma and Iris found themselves having jumped into the cyclone, allowing themselves to be whipped around by the fury of the wind as the only way to defeat the guardian was the enter its outer body and let yourself be carried away so they could go damage the inner core, the main body of the guardian which looked like a spinning top covered in four crystal eyes, the weak point.

It was in here they also found...

"Hello, my name is Wiz. I'm the squad leader for the four-member group: Everyone Else Hearts. Nice to meet you."

"So you're the boss of Lia, Erika, and Cielo huh? How'd you get sucked up into this twister?"

According to Wiz, she had been sent her to see if there was anything of interest worth claiming, a task she was fine with as the cold didn't bother her. But during her little look around inside the room, a strange machine appeared and started causing trouble. This triggered the appearance of the cyclone which destroyed the machine immediately but didn't stop, even going so far as to suck up poor Wiz, whose been trapped inside, spinning round and round, ever since.

Then came the most floaty of battles as Kazuma, and Iris and Wiz too, were essentially flying about inside the cyclone. They had to dodge plenty of debris that was also inside the twister, some of which was the remains of the machine Wiz had talked about. Luckily, Darkness's shield and its ability to create a barrier proved invaluable here.

Using Aqua's mace in combination with Wiz's ice powers also helped with making the challenge a little easier. Naturally, Megumin suggested using her power to end this all quickly, but Kazuma vetoed that suggestion right away. It was quite the challenge but, in the end, the cyclone guardian was defeated and the alter had appeared in the room.

Once they were safely back on the ground, Iris asked Wiz-

"So, what are you going to do now, miss Wiz?"

"Hm, guess I'll head back and make my report. Don't worry, princess. I'll tell everyone this place is a no go. I don't want to be the one to be responsible for destroying this beautiful cavern of ice and snow."

"Say Wiz, have you ever thought of leaving the military... and even leave the empire. You could make a new life for yourself here in the kingdom. Same with Lia, Erika, and Cielo. In fact, I made them the same offer when I was with them."

"You did? Hm, I guess that does sound rather nice, but what would I..."

"Kazuma's right, miss Wiz. You four should come live here with us. By my power as princess, I can and will allow it. Also, surely there's something you four have always wanted to do with your lives that being with the empire wouldn't allow, or at least make easy for you four."

"Well, I've always wanted to open my own store and I know my three subordinates have talked about wanting to do something that can bring smiles to the faces of everyone around them. Guess we have something to talk about once I see them again. Speaking of, I need to be getting back so I can do just that."

After saying goodbye to Wiz, Kazuma does his thing by placing Luminite into the alter, but nothing happens. Iris looks at Kazuma and asks-

"Um, Kazuma... how long is this supposed to take? I confess I'm not familiar with how this part actually works here."

"That's odd. Normally, the elemental spirit should have appeared by now. I wonder if I screwed up..."

"I know what the problem is. Just hold on a second, I'll get her."

said Megumin, floating over to the alter before fading from sight. Aqua leans in and says-

"This one is always a handful. Not nearly as bad as the light spirit will be, but this child can be troublesome sometimes."

Before Kazuma could ask for context on that, the sounds of crying can be heard as Megumin reappears, with another female spirit in two. The new arrival was crying out as Megumin was pinching her cheeks in a rather painful way.

"Ouch, please stop Megumin, that hurts really bad you know."

"Quit complaining, Yunyun. I'm only doing this because you're so slow. Seriously, why do you have to be so difficult in times like these."

"I wasn't being difficult. I just wanted to make sure I was presentable before meeting the new master was all."

Kazuma and Iris could only stand there in disbelief as they watched this scene play out. After a few more moments, Megumin pushes Yunyun before Kazuma, telling her to get it over with already. The wind spirit, all shy and fidgety, says-

"Hel-hello, hi-high I mean. My na-name is Yun-Yunyun, spirit of the wi-wind. Nice to me-meet you!"

she then does a polite bow as Darkness explains-

"Our Yunyun here, as I'm sure you two can guess, is quite shy and insecure."

"She's a totally worry wart and an embarrassment is what she is."

quickly adds Megumin, making Yunyun bury her face within her hands.

"She just finds it difficult interacting with other people, new people, for the first dozen or so times."

adds Aqua. Kazuma nods before stepping forward, saying-

"Nice to meet you, Yunyun. My name 's Kazuma. Guess you can say I'm the new hero of the day."

"Nice to meet you, to-too. Please take ca-care of me, Kazuma."

After that, Yunyun is pushed over to the alter so she could bond with it like the others had. Once that had been done, Kazuma takes Luminite into his hands and activates the wind power it had now gained, turning it into a stylish looking bow and arrow combo, which also means Kazuma now had his own reliable ranged weapon to call upon.

But when he goes to test Yunyun out, she suddenly reverts to Luminite's sword form.

"Hey, what happened?"

"Seriously, Yunyun. Can't you even do your job in weapon form right here?"

yells Megumin, making Yunyun's spirit form reappear and say-

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. It's just that... having master Kazuma touching me like he was, feeling his touch upon my body, made me become embarrassed and thus I needed to take a moment to collect myself there..."

"Seriously, this happens all the time with you, Yunyun. When are you going to get over this mindset of yours?"

wondered Aqua aloud as Megumin was using her fist to whack Yunyun repeatedly while the wind spirit cried mercy. Darkness then hovers over to Kazuma and Iris, telling them-

"Yunyun, believe it or not, is a very powerful ally. When her weapon form is summoned, you'll become light as a feather, moving super-fast across the ground. Your jumps will also be improved, both in distance and height. You can even hover off the ground for short periods of time too."

"And the draw back... or do I really need to ask here?"

"The drawback is... Yunyun is incredibly shy, as you have no doubt noticed. You never know when she's going to lose her nerve and deactivate on you. Basically..."

"Basically, don't rely on her to have your back when your need is greatest."

"Megumin, that's not very nice. Sure, maybe I am a little timid and that can make me run away at crucial moments, but at least I can be relied on for more than one attack per..."

"That's it... punishment time for Yunyun."

Kazuma just stands there, unable to process the scene happening before him as Megumin really lets Yunyun have it while Darkness tries to stop what was going on and Aqua just watches it all unfold with a smile on her face. Iris looks at Kazuma and asks-

"Um... Kazuma, I know how this looks but I can..."

"Why me? Why did I have to be cursed with such annoying, useless spirits like these as my ally's and partners. I'm starting to want to go home!"

} Trial of the Loving Element of Light {

The time for the final trial, the test to obtain the Light Element, had arrived.

After returning to the castle, Kazuma set up to return the Hero's Tower, the place where his mission had truly begun and the place where the light spirit and element are said to sleep, awaiting his return. Naturally, Iris wanted to go along with Kazuma, to help him out with the final trial that awaited him.

However, this would not be possible as the nature of the trial will only allow Kazuma to undertake it. And so, Iris will remain behind with Rain in order to figure out how to get Kazuma up to the flying fortress of the Everyone Else Empire.

After making his way back up to the top of the tower, Kazuma found himself standing before the alter that had once held Luminite. Kazuma takes the blade in hand, taking a moment to look at it, then at the alter as the four spirits appear before him, each there to show their support.

"So, the time has finally come, hasn't it, bum. You ready for this?"

"You don't need to worry, Kazuma. With the four of us having your back, there's no way you'll fail this final trial."

"We believe you in, Kazuma. You have a strength we haven't seen in past hopefuls in our time as the elemental spirits. So, show us what you got."

"I... I know you can do this. That we-we can do this. I have fa-faith."

"Thanks, you guys. I know things haven't always been all fun and games, but I still enjoyed having you four with me. And now, let's finish bringing our little team here together."

Kazuma then slides Luminite into the alter, causing the room to fill with light. When he is finally able to see again, he finds himself standing on a platform floating in the middle of a great and never-ending void. He then realizes neither Luminite nor the spirits were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh great, so it's going to be one of THESE kinds of test, I take it."

"Yes... and no, Satou Kazuma."

came a voice as a ball of light takes shape before him.

"Who are you?"

"I think you know the answer to that one, Satou Kazuma. I am the final spirit you need to bond with in order to complete your quest. Before you is I, the Spirit of Light... but you can call me Eris!"

The ball of light then reshapes itself, taking on the appearance of a girl with long, flowing lavender colored hair and a small white scar on her cheek that actually made her look both beautiful and a little dangerous in an attractive way.

"So you're the light spirit, huh? Eris... that's a very pretty... wait, I've heard your voice before, haven't I?"

"Indeed you have. When you first came here, I was the voice you heard when you were told the name of the legendary blade. I'm glad we can now communicate with one another properly. So, shall I explain everything to you here?"

"Might as well. After all, we do have something of a time limit we have to keep in mind."

Eris nods before snapping her fingers, making four separate pathways appear all around the central platform they were both on. Looking at each, Kazuma could see that each of the four paths had a clear elemental theme behind them.

"As you can see, there are four separate paths to walk. Before you can take on the final trial, my trial specifically, you must take on a new trial of water, of fire, of earth, and of wind. Completing each will awaken the TRUE power of each spirits element, as well as gift you with a new way to tap into them."

"I have to do their test all again. Yeesh, doesn't that mean my original trials were a waste of time?"

"Not at all. Those trials were needed to gain their powers. These trials are all about awakening the full power. You'll understand as you complete the trials of each. Then, once all four have been completed, the final trial, my true trial, will begin."

"Does that mean I won't have Luminite at my side till after I've finished all of this then?"

"Yes, I'm sorry about that but please understand that to add my power to Luminite isn't as quick as adding the powers of the others to it. My power will need time to be etched into the blade, thus making this whole test also be part way to pass the time. So, are you ready? Note that you can do this in any order you want and that completing one could make doing the others a little bit easier."

"Man, what a pain in the butt. Still, can't be helped, I guess. Alright, let's do this."

"Good luck, Satou Kazuma. I'll be waiting at the end of the trial."

And thus, Kazuma's greatest trial yet began. He decides to go for Yunyun first, figuring it made sense to go for the newest member first. Her trial was all about using the wind and cold to help him reach then end. Upon completing her trial, he found her gift of being quick footed and having superior jump as well as limited floating power.

He then went for Darkness. While there were no pressure plate to deal with, he still had plenty of annoying platforming action between him and his goal. Once he had reunited with Darkness, he found he no longer needed to have her active to have her great defensive powers at his side. While he couldn't quite tank any hits like he could with her weapon out, or create barriers to shield with, his body had still become more durable with improvements to his stamina and endurance.

Megumin's trial was once again all about stealth and sneaking around. Completion saw him gaining greater physical strength than ever before. And finally, Aqua's trial was finding his way to the goal which was actually easy with her gift being a Regen like power that would always heal him should he be injured, though the effect was rather slow. It was still better than nothing.

Upon returning to the central platform, the other platforms fade out as a new trial appears up above.

"Congrats, Satou Kazuma. Now, it's time for your final trial. Make it all the way to the top and reclaim Luminite and you will become the hero you always wanted to become... the Brave Samurai!"

Eris's trial had bits and pieces of the other four trials, Kazuma found himself being made blind, only able to see an endless light. This was the trial, to be able to reach the top with only the guidance of his four-spirit ally's helping him along the way.

Eris trial was one of trust; the trust Kazuma had in the spirits and the spirits trust in Kazuma.

The journey to the top was long, hard, and even a little scary too. But in the end, with their trust connecting them, they finally reached the top. Once there, Kazuma's eyes were cleared of the light, finally allowing him to see again and just in time to see Eris appear before them all.

"Good work, Brave Samurai Kazuma. You've done it. Now, all you need to do is draw for Luminite and you will become the hero you've always wanted to be."

"Not yet actually. I still need to go defeat Claire, her empire, and save the Stylish Style Kingdom. Only then will I be worthy of being called a hero. So, what will you bring to the table?"

"Only one way to find out."

Eris tells him while giving Kazuma a cheeky grin. She then flows into the sword, leaving Kazuma alone with the other spirits. Aqua let's out a sigh, then says-

"Eris, Eris, Eris, she can be such a child sometimes. Always playing so coy too. It really annoys me sometimes."

"That's just how she is, Aqua. She's the secretive type, always has been. Even we don't truly know what she can bring to the table as her powers always seems to be different whenever she's called upon."

said Darkness. Yunyun then quickly adds-

"It'll be alright, Ka-Kazuma. I'm sure her power will be of great help to y-you."

"Geez Yunyun, can't you stop being so shy with him already? It's time to become a little confident."

shouts Megumin before she begins to bully Yunyun again.

Kazuma smiles at them before turning his attention back to Luminite. He then steps forward, reaches out, and takes hold of Luminite's handle.

"OK, time to show the world your light. Shift... Eris!"

} Showdown with Claire {

Kazuma learned an important truth when he called for Eris's weapon form as he pulled Luminite from the alter. That truth... was that calling on her power wasn't just something that you can do whenever. It could only be called upon when the need was at its greatest.

Still though, he wasn't confident he understood what she was all about here as the tower returned to normal. Upon returning to the castle however, he learned not all was well seeing as the castle had been blasted to hell and back.

It seems Claire had finally become aware of Iris having escaped and had not taken it well. She had taken it so badly in fact she started going ballistic on everyone in the army, both the men and the women. This had led to pretty much everyone jumping ship, leaving nothing but robots left to do her psycho-bidding. She had then come, wrecked the castle and kidnapped Iris.

After making sure everyone was OK, chancellor Vanir had surprised them by popping up and confessing this invasion was all for his own kicks as his kind fed from the energy created from causing others trouble. Having been sated, and feeling things have gone too far, Vanir decides to help Kazuma by getting him onto the flying fortress though warns him he would still need to find Claire and Iris on his own.

"Kazuma's not alone. He has us with him." (x5)

Once he was on board, Kazuma faced a new kind of enemy in the form of the battle and defense robots that Claire was relying on now. This, along with the maze-like structure of the place, would have seriously slowed Kazuma down if not for the sudden arrival of Wiz, Lia, Erika, and Cielo who had shown up to aid him... and to let him know they were taking up his offer to come live in the Stylish Style Kingdom once this was all over.

With their help, Kazuma was finally able to fight his way through the flying fortress until finally, he entered what he assumed would be the command bridge, the equivalent of the throne room. And sitting on her dark and deranged looking throne, with and unconscious Iris at her side, was Claire, smiling smugly at Kazuma.

"Well, well, well, I honestly never thought I would have to look upon your ugly mug again. Tell me, how is it you managed to survive and make it this far?"

"What can I say. I'm excellent at breaking a person's expectations. Now, stand down and return Iris to her people, Claire."

"... No, no I will not. Iris is MINE, she belongs to me and me alone. And you, disgusting little man, have dared to intrude on my flying fortress here. Because of that audacity, there can be only one punishment."

Claire then stands from her throne, stepping down so she was standing opposite Kazuma. She then takes her rapier into her hand before adding-

"DEATH!"

Claire then comes flying at Kazuma, expecting to impale him with her blade before he can react to her action. Instead, to Kazuma, it was like she was moving slowly in his eyes. Kazuma easily dodges around her strike, making Claire look back at him with a surprised expression.

"How did..."

"What's wrong, Claire? Wanting to play with your prey like some mangy flea invested cat?"

"How dare you. Die, scum!"

Claire then goes to strike again and once more, Kazuma finds time seems to slow down, allowing him to dodge her next attack, then the attack after that and the one after that.

'What's going on? Why is everything...'

"This is my power, Kazuma."

'Eris?'

"As I'm sure you've noticed by now, I don't have my own unique weapon. Instead, when my power is active, the Gleam blade of Luminite will shine like the sun. When my power in active, you will find time appearing to slow down from your perspective. You will even have a sixth sense when it comes to knowing what action our opponent will be trying next."

'So, essentially a form of Foresight, right.'

"... Hm, Foresight. I like the sound of that word. OK, from this day forth, I'll call my power Foresight. Now, let's put this woman in her place, shall we."

Kazuma couldn't agree more, deciding to stop dodging now and use Darkness's power to strength his body enough to block Claire's next strike at him. Seeing her rapier rebound of Kazuma's body once again takes Claire by surprise.

"You wanna know something, you selfish psychotic bitch..."

Kazuma then goes and lands a devastating right hook against Claire's left cheek which sends her flying and slamming onto the ground. Claire was completely stunned, shocked that Kazuma had actually managed to hit HER and deal some degree of damage to her body. She then glares at Kazuma who says-

"... I'm someone who believes in an eye for an eye. I don't give a fuck if you're a man, a woman, young, or old. You act like and ass and treat everyone else around you like they are inferior, like they are your property and because of that, I have no issue with doing what's needed and put you in your place, BITCH!"

"I am SO going to kill you now and I'm going to make sure your death is both slow and painful!"

And thus, the fight between them continued, but not for much longer as Kazuma, armed with the power of the spirits and the legendary blade, finally brings Claire down, seemingly leaving her unconscious and defeated.

Kazuma then rescues Iris, the princess slowly regaining consciousness as Kazuma carries her to her freedom. Once they had exited the flying fortress and made it back to the ground, Iris had fully regained consciousness and had thanked Kazuma for the rescue with a hug.

Just then, Rain and Vanir, along with many others, come running up to them with Rain asking what had happened. After Kazuma explained everything to them, a worried Vanir says-

"Wait, so you DIDN'T kill Claire, boy?"

"I didn't think it was necessary. She's defeated, at my hands, and that should be enough to break her spirit and her will to fight. Also, I didn't want her blood staining Luminite's blade."

"Hm, Moi doesn't think that was the best idea on your part."

"Why mister Vanir? What could leaving her alive possible do to us now?"

asked Iris, getting an answer immediately as Claire's voice booms out across the kingdom from above.

"OK, now I'm really mad. You think this fight is over? Not by a long shot. In fact, I'm going to do what I should have done from the beginning. Flying Fortress Forte... transform!"

And then, the massive flying fortress actually does begin to undergo a transformation, making Vanir say-

"Perhaps Moi should have said something sooner but, what can you do. All imperial flying fortress's have the ability to transform into a battle mode, something Moi accidentally revealed to lady Claire before. While in battle mode, the fortress will gain enough fire power to wipe this entire kingdom in just one blast."

"Say what? Oh no, princess Iris. This is bad."

"I know, Rain. Kazuma, please tell me you can beat... whatever it is it's going to turn into?"

Kazuma lets out a sigh before taking a step forward while Luminite shifts into its mage staff form.

"You know something... I'm REALLY getting tired of having to deal with that annoying psycho-bitch and I only just met her a few days ago and have only really interacted with her a handful of times here. I don't have the energy to keep playing with her so... MEGUMIN!"

The fire spirit Megumin appears, a look of excitement on her face as she says-

"Kazuma-Kazuma, are you... does this mean?"

"Damn right this means what you think it means. We're going all out here so make sure you give me everything you got!"

"Understood!"

said Megumin, calling forth ALL her power for this one.

The flying fortress finally completes its transformation, now looking like a giant winged metal dragon.

"Hahaha, you must be terrified. Shitting your pants even. Not that it matters. Now, my dear Iris, get your ass back here so I can kill all those..."

"EXPLOSION! (x2)"

} Brave Samurai Kazuma {

The invasion was over. The Stylish Style Kingdom, though in a rough shape, was in the process of rebuilding with help from the Everyone Else Empire who were seeking to make amends for the accidental invasion.

Vanir, as penitence for his rushed actions, will have to devote the rest of his life serving the Stylish royal family; something he was actually chill with.

Wiz was finally able to open her own shop, but because she had this bad habit of only stocking exotic items that no one would ever want to buy, she was always just barely making ends meet.

Lia, Erika, and Cielo started up a performance theater, putting on shows on the weekends for everyone in the kingdom. They have taken on the name Stylish Hearts in honor of their new home.

As for Claire, no one is quite sure what happened to her after Kazuma blew her dragon mech into oblivion. It was assumed she was dead, but no one was really sure... nor did they really care. So long as she never came back around, they were willing to just forget about her.

And finally, concerning Kazuma and the five spirits? Well...

"Sir, Kazuma, you have done this kingdom a great service. Nay, perhaps I should say you have rendered a greater service to the entire world than what you can imagine. Because of this, with my authority as king, I decree you to have your name etched into the Stylish history books and grant you all the rights and benefits becoming of a chosen hero. To you, we offer all our thanks."

Everyone, even the king and queen themselves, bow to him, making Kazuma feel especially nervous. Next, the queen says-

"Now, about the matter of sending you home. I'm sure you must be..."

"About that, your majesties... actually, I was thinking I would rather stay here. Sure, I could go home but I'm not really anything special back there where as here... long explanation short, I would like to stay here with you all if I could."

"YES!"

cheered Iris before recomposing herself. That had been her biggest fear, having to say goodbye to Kazuma this very day, something she didn't want to do. She had even considered trying to go back with him somehow if he was to be sent back, But, seeing as he wanted to stay, that made it all easier for her.

The king then says-

"I'm fine with letting you stay, son. In fact, hearing that you want to stay sets my mind at ease because... well, you see..."

"We don't actually know how to send you back home."

finished the queen, which gets a look of surprise from Kazuma and Iris. Rain then steps in and says-

"After looking over all the text about the hero summoning ritual, I was unable to find any mention of how to return the hero to his or her homeland. It could be that this will happen naturally in the future or maybe this is just a bit of information that had been lost or removed in the past? Or... perhaps you being summoned here was a one-way trip with no chance to ever return home. Who knows?"

"Well, it is what it is. If I'm here for the rest of my life, then I'm fine with it. If my return will happen automatically at some point in the future, well... better start making sure I do as much as I can before that day comes, right?"

'Which means, better form my little harem and enjoy it as much as I can, hehehe.'

The king nods, then looks at the five spirits.

"And what of you five? Will you return to your shrines and resume your slumber now?"

The five spirits huddle together for a moment before looking back at the king and queen and saying-

(E) "Actually, your honor. We plan on staying with Kazuma here for a while."

(M) "Yeah, really. Things have been nothing but boring lately, but he can make things fun for us. Besides, how else can I demonstrate my powers without having him act as my avatar here."

(A) "While it annoys me I have to keep hanging out with this bum, I suppose it would be a tiny bit better than the boring room I have come to call home."

(D) " Just admit it, Aqua. You like hanging out with sir Kazuma more than you want to admit too."

"NEVER!"

(Y) "I hope us sticking around won't b-be a bother to you, mister Kaz-Kazuma!"

"It'll be fine, Yunyun... I think. Having you all around will be... OK, I guess. So, what should we..."

"Kazuma-Kazuma..."

said Iris, running from being at her parent's side to his, grabbing his hands and yanking on them to follow her.

"I think it's time I give you your special reward, the Princess Reward for her Hero. I just need to take you someplace where we can be alone so I can give it to you... like my BEDROOM!"

"OK, but what exactly is this... hey, Iris... quite pulling so hard. Geez, when did you become so strong?"

As Kazuma gets dragged away by Iris, the king and queen just watch on with the king asking-

"By the way, dear. Just what exactly is this Princess Reward business anyways? I've never heard of it before."

"Hm, let me think. If memory serves, it's when the princess rewards her chosen hero by using her body too..."

"IRIS, GET BACK HERE WITH SIR KAZUMA. YOU'RE AT LEAST FOUR YEARS TO YOUNG TO BE DOING THAT AS A REWARD!"

{|} Fin... and to be continued {|}

AN: And thus, we complete another story from within the Fantasia. As I said last chapter, this arc will have its chapters told in two ways. The last was handled like the first chapter of its own series with the rest of the story was told in the form of a synopsis at the end. This chapter handled it the other way, where I took key scenes from the overall story and focused on them with a quick explanation being given for all the in between stuff.

After doing this chapter, I think I'll be sticking more to how chapter one did things as doing it this way resulted in the chapter being WAY longer than intended though that's really on me for wanting to include so many fleshed out scenes.

Also, you may have noticed, or felt, things started to feel a little more rushed there as we neared then end. If so, then that's because I did find myself needing to rush things to completion by the time I reached the last few parts as I was running out of time to work on this chapter due to stuff happening in my personal life.

First, this chapter is based on the video game Brave Fencer Musashi from the PS1 game console.

Second, there were several ideas I had that didn't make it into the final product you just finished reading which I will reveal to you now (things that would have happened if this was a full-length series).

The first thing is that Chomusuke would have been a spirit animal bound and born of the legendary blade, meant to be a guide for Kazuma to rely on and a helper of sorts. The reason this didn't happen wasn't so much because of time, though time was a factor, but rather I didn't actually think of it till after passing page 30 in my writing. I had considered going back and adding this part in, but time wouldn't allow for this modification. Regardless, think of Chomusuke as the soul of the sword.

The next thing is I had wanted to include Mitsurugi in the tale as well. In my planning, he would come in when Iris was trying to make her escape and, in the process, find a hero summoning Gleam in the enemy's possession. Though smaller than the one that summoned Kazuma, she still uses it to call for back-up but Mitsurugi, who would be a very clueless and naïve guy, would get tricked by the enemy into thinking Iris was THEIR princess they had just rescued and had been brainwashed (by showing him the room they gave her and saying if she was their prisoner, then she'd be in a cell).

This would result in Kazuma and Mitsurugi crossing paths several times (and revealing they have some history from back home) but any fighting between them would always be interrupted. In the end, Mitsurugi would finally realize he had been duped and goes to join the good guys, only for Claire to boot him off into the unknown, his fate left a mystery.

And as for Claire herself, there would be an epilogue where we learn she was still alive, just off floating somewhere in the middle of the ocean with nothing but water as far as she could see in every direction. Despite this, she vows to survive, find land, and eventually return to have her revenge. Her future beyond that would be left up to the reader to decide. Also concerning Claire, I know I made her be a little extreme in this one. The reason is when I decided to make her the big bad of this tale, I decided I would make her as campy, crazy, and over the top as possible. Basically, I figured this version of Claire would be batshit insane.

Well, that's about it for now. Better go get started on chapter 3 which will be...

An Aqua focused chapter, inspired by the game Chrono Trigger, where Aqua will play the role of princess Marle. Look forward to it.

Till next time...